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

Sguros appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered held on a $25,000 bond, NBC South Florida reported. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Advertisement Nevada A perennial swing state, Republicans are vying to hold on to its leadership of Nevada’s government. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

When a doddering Joe Biden threatened the party’s hold on the White House and foreshadowed a 2024 congressional wipeout, Pelosi used her considerable influence to not so gently ease the president aside as Democrats’ nominee for the White House. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

The package comes just two weeks before midterm elections, where political headwinds threaten to complicate Republicans’ efforts to hold on to seats in some farm-heavy, typically red states. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 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