hold against

verb

held against; holding against; holds against
: to use (something) as a reason to have a bad opinion of (someone)
He lied to her once, and she still holds it against him.
Nobody is going to hold it against you if you don't come.

Examples of hold against in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The victim, who was being held against hit will in Kelly's truck, called 911 and was providing real-time location updates. CBS News, 14 May 2026 Finally, pessimism also holds against optimism that the future is radically open, pregnant with an unknowable possibility. Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 Compound workers told the FBI that they were held against their will and forced to participate in the scams under the threat of violence. ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026 Conversely, struggling in the tournament wouldn’t be held against a prospect who had played well all season, an executive said. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hold against

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hold against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20against. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster