1
: something used to fasten an object in place
2
a
: an act of holding down
b
: limit
agreed to wage-rate hold-downs
held down; holding down; holds down
1
: to keep within limits
hold the noise down
2
: to assume or have responsibility for
holding down two jobs
Synonyms
Examples of hold-down in a Sentence
Verb
efforts to hold down taxes keep running up against the legislature's ingrained unwillingness to cut spending
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023
If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire, the company said.
—CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
Once the position of the skirts are verified, they will be bolted down to the slab with four hold-down studs each.
—Saumya Gupta, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Then, presuming everything checks out, two hold-down mechanisms open and the little rover falls about a meter, in the low lunar gravity, to the ground below.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2023
Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
On Android, hold down on a conversation, tap the three dots, then Mark it as unread.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
Perhaps someone should create that reciprocal social space for the wives, letting the men hold down the family fort; your wife, in fact, might see if there’s interest.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
As for the airship, the carbon-fiber blimp is held down by secure ropes until given the green light to disengage.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
To turn it on, press and hold down the center button; press this button down quickly to change the sound.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024
Despite New England having glaring shortcomings up front, Onwenu was hardly one of them, as the 6-3, 350-pounder proved capable of holding down a starting role at either right tackle or right guard.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
If Kimbrel holds down the closer role, Cano remains one of baseball’s best setup men.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
Additionally, holding down a coveted post in the hospitality industry with much of her job being televised, also has attracted internet critics.
—Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
SpaceX tested the water deluge system several times since April, including on a pair of hold-down engine tests with the Super Heavy booster in August.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023
If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire, the company said.
—CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
Once the position of the skirts are verified, they will be bolted down to the slab with four hold-down studs each.
—Saumya Gupta, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Then, presuming everything checks out, two hold-down mechanisms open and the little rover falls about a meter, in the low lunar gravity, to the ground below.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2023
Verb
Carpenter also mentions Godzilla's footprint has three toes, which indicates carnivorous dinosaurs who would have used their feet to hold down prey.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
On Android, hold down on a conversation, tap the three dots, then Mark it as unread.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
Perhaps someone should create that reciprocal social space for the wives, letting the men hold down the family fort; your wife, in fact, might see if there’s interest.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
As for the airship, the carbon-fiber blimp is held down by secure ropes until given the green light to disengage.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
To turn it on, press and hold down the center button; press this button down quickly to change the sound.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024
Despite New England having glaring shortcomings up front, Onwenu was hardly one of them, as the 6-3, 350-pounder proved capable of holding down a starting role at either right tackle or right guard.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
If Kimbrel holds down the closer role, Cano remains one of baseball’s best setup men.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
Additionally, holding down a coveted post in the hospitality industry with much of her job being televised, also has attracted internet critics.
—Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hold-down
Cite this Entry
“Hold-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold-down. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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