hold on

verb

held on; holding on; holds on

intransitive verb

1

a

: to maintain a condition or position : persist

b

: to maintain a grasp on something : hang on

2

: to await something (such as a telephone connection) desired or requested

broadly : wait

see also:

hold on to

Synonyms of hold on

• remain
• continue
• last

Examples of hold on in a Sentence

the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

hold on a minute—it's not your turn

Recent Examples on the Web

Almanza was charged with threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property and is currently being held on a $1 million bond in the Faulkner County jail. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026

Farinacci is being held on a $1 million bond and is expected to appear in court Tuesday. — Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Such a $7 million giveback by LaVine, 31, however, still would have left the Kings on the hook for $42 million to pay LaVine to walk away, as opposed to holding on to his salary for potential use in a trade. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

The asset cost isn’t much for the Mercury, who have shown little interest in holding on to their first-round draft picks, provided Plum re-signs. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for hold on

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

Kids Definition

hold on

verb

1

: to keep a hold

2

: wait entry 1 sense 1a