hang in

verb

hung in; hanging in; hangs in

intransitive verb

informal : to refuse to be discouraged or intimidated : to keep going, trying, or working in a difficult situation

… did not hang in long enough to win even a battle.

—Marvin E. Frankel

Hoping to hang in until some series he works on runs five years and makes him $50 million in syndication …

—Chris Chase

—often used in the phrase hang in there

If there was ever a mismatched couple it was this one, but the children begged them to hang in there.

—Joseph Wambaugh

If she hung in there long enough, he would change. It just took a lot of patience with a little reasoning.

—Gloria Naylor

Examples of hang in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Refreshingly no-frills, there's enough room to hang in the cockpit, a small bathroom onboard (nothing fancy, but completely functional), and some space to move around, take in the views, and enjoy the ride. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026

Getting dressed has never been easier with a chic, comfortable two-piece set like this one hanging in your closet. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026

Juliana, a Black girl, was found hanging in a North Charlotte churchyard May 8. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026

Rather, each pair should serve a distinct purpose instead of duplicating another one already hanging in the closet. — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hang in

verb

informal

: to refuse to be discouraged or frightened

Hang in there, kid! Don't quit.