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

Phrases

hang on to

: to hold, grip, or keep tenaciously

Examples of hang on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Due to the sluggish start to the season and the Tigers' College Football Playoff hopes hanging on by a thread, rumors have started coming out about Swinney's future. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

This is a record of warmth and passion, one that hangs on the conviction that nobody has ever felt so consumed by the dizzy, wild and blissed-out rush of infatuation. —Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025

At the start of the season 22 premiere on Thursday, though, Beltran was hanging on — and then some. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025

Calvin Klein Men's Boxer Briefs Finally throw those briefs your husband claims are totally fine — but in reality are barely hanging on by a thread of elastic — in the trash. —Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025

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