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
Students described being held down and having teammates rub their genitals on their faces, being groped in locker rooms, and in some cases penetrated with a broomstick.
—
Hannah Dreyfus, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Huntington Beach tried to capitalize on the early surge and recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Mustangs held down for the three-and-out.
—Zach Cavanagh, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
My mother held down three jobs at one time to support us.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Bob Sirott and John Records Landecker, who held down afternoon and evening shifts respectively for much of the 1970s on WLS, are reuniting on the air at WGN for a three-hour tour of anecdotes, DJ interviews, vintage jingles and listener calls.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
In 2021, as officers held down a Taylor man who had fled from a traffic stop, Furman allegedly kicked the man multiple times in his leg and ankle while he was being handcuffed.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Their shelter is a patch of plastic and tarp held down by rocks, near the edge of a displacement zone in southwest Deir al-Balah, where Israel was engaged in a military operation from July 20 to 22.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Hannah Dreyfus, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Huntington Beach tried to capitalize on the early surge and recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Mustangs held down for the three-and-out.
—Zach Cavanagh, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
My mother held down three jobs at one time to support us.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Bob Sirott and John Records Landecker, who held down afternoon and evening shifts respectively for much of the 1970s on WLS, are reuniting on the air at WGN for a three-hour tour of anecdotes, DJ interviews, vintage jingles and listener calls.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
In 2021, as officers held down a Taylor man who had fled from a traffic stop, Furman allegedly kicked the man multiple times in his leg and ankle while he was being handcuffed.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Their shelter is a patch of plastic and tarp held down by rocks, near the edge of a displacement zone in southwest Deir al-Balah, where Israel was engaged in a military operation from July 20 to 22.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held down
Verb
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Another criticism is that insurance is still required for concierge medicine and that its usage is limited in some practices, according to PartnerMD, a concierge medical service.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
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However, each customer is limited to purchasing a maximum of one of each set.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Official badges and patches are supposed to be restricted, but counterfeit versions are readily available.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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That changed recently when the FDA restricted the vaccine for those 65 years of age and older, or for younger individuals six months of age and older with an underlying condition that would put them at high risk for severe Covid infection.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20down. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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