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

Phrases

hold on to

: to maintain possession of or adherence to

Synonyms

• 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

Because of the holiday, the Downtown Elgin Market and the French Market in West Dundee won’t be held on Friday, July 4. —Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025

Grenier was held on a $200,000 bond and was expected to be arraigned on Monday in Norwich Superior Court. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025

That roundup includes five other projects that have held on for at least a year, including Born Sinner, The Off-Season, KOD, Cole World: The Sideline Story, and 4 Your Eyez Only. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Bohannan and Miller-Meeks are also set to face off against other candidates in primaries scheduled to be held on June 2, 2026. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025

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