as in limited
to set bounds or an upper limit for
efforts to hold down taxes keep running up against the legislature's ingrained unwillingness to cut spending
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Recent Examples of held down
Thieneman slides into the spot that Harrison Smith held down for over a decade.
—
Nick Harris
april 20, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez and Miller held down the Angels the rest of the way.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Matt Waldron held down the fort for three months when injuries ravaged the Padres’ starting rotation in 2024.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Good art can never be held down!
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Matt McCoy and Samson Okunlola split reps at left guard, Anez Cooper held down his spot at right guard and James Brockermeyer joined the team via the transfer portal to start at center.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
According to charging documents, Contreras Aguilar conspired with other MS-13 members to lure a 14-year-old boy believed to be cooperating with law enforcement to a park in Fairfax County, where the teenager was held down, slain, and buried by the Salvadoran gang.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
That said, one long-term media partner that’ll be monitoring the potential downstream effects of the heavying-up is NBC, which has held down the primetime Thanksgiving slot since 2006.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Texas State's relievers held down the fort, while the offense scored nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
Nick Harris
april 20, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez and Miller held down the Angels the rest of the way.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Matt Waldron held down the fort for three months when injuries ravaged the Padres’ starting rotation in 2024.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Good art can never be held down!
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Matt McCoy and Samson Okunlola split reps at left guard, Anez Cooper held down his spot at right guard and James Brockermeyer joined the team via the transfer portal to start at center.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
According to charging documents, Contreras Aguilar conspired with other MS-13 members to lure a 14-year-old boy believed to be cooperating with law enforcement to a park in Fairfax County, where the teenager was held down, slain, and buried by the Salvadoran gang.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
That said, one long-term media partner that’ll be monitoring the potential downstream effects of the heavying-up is NBC, which has held down the primetime Thanksgiving slot since 2006.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Texas State's relievers held down the fort, while the offense scored nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held down
Verb
-
Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Joining Nixon are returners Quentin Hatch, Aymeric Koumba, Anthony Coaxum and Edwards, who is battling back from an injury that limited him to just six games last season.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The country was once very free online, remarkable given President Vladimir Putin’s autocratic rule, but more recently access to global messaging apps has been restricted and the internet has been completely shut down at times as Moscow has sought to silence criticism.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Crime scene trucks and police activity were concentrated toward the back of the complex, while other sections remained restricted.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20down. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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