hang on

verb

hung on; hanging on; hangs on

intransitive verb

1

: to keep hold : hold on to something

2

: to persist tenaciously

a cold that hung on all spring

3

: hold on sense 2

I'll get the answer if you can hang on.

see also:

hang on to

Examples of hang on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But so many of them hang on, in a city that, against all odds, continues to hang on to everything human and real and perhaps just a bit crazy. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 Aug. 2026

Michigan is a swing state and Democrats have hung on to the office since 2018. — Saige Miller, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026

Two or three other fellows were hanging on to the boat by that time. — James D. Oxley, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026

The bathrooms are large and bright with wide vanities stocked with Diptyque toiletry products in pump bottles and towels hanging on heated rails. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hang on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

hang on

verb

1

: to keep hold or possession especially tightly

hang on or you'll fall

hang on to your money

2

: to continue stubbornly

a cold that hung on all spring