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
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
Thieneman slides into the spot that Harrison Smith held down for over a decade.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 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
People held down LaBeouf until officials arrived.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
LaBeouf was held down by onlookers until officers arrived, police said.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
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
Thieneman slides into the spot that Harrison Smith held down for over a decade.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 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
People held down LaBeouf until officials arrived.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
LaBeouf was held down by onlookers until officers arrived, police said.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held down
Verb
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Interestingly, Acree believes that the Meta partnership agreement is not just limited to a typical ASIC design win.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
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The program would be limited to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, but would be particularly helpful for those with 10 employees, which often do not offer health insurance due to sky-high premiums.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With such a focus on what’s happening inside Robby’s head, an already claustrophobic show stuck inside the boundaries of a single set on a single day has gotten even more restricted.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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In 2021, California restricted the use of less lethal munitions until alternatives to force have been tried to control a crowd.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20down. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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