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
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
Mornings With Mero replaces Ebro in the Morning—hosted by Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez—which held down the AM slot for years before the show was unexpectedly cancelled in December.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
The car was shipped in an open carrier truck, and the car was held down with straps on the tires, nothing tied to the undercarriage.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Mornings With Mero replaces Ebro in the Morning—hosted by Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez—which held down the AM slot for years before the show was unexpectedly cancelled in December.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
The car was shipped in an open carrier truck, and the car was held down with straps on the tires, nothing tied to the undercarriage.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held down
Verb
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The number of Jews allowed to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem has been limited to 50 a day, while Muslims have been completely barred from accessing Al Aqsa Mosque since the war started in late February, including the entire holy month of Ramadan.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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But UConn’s smothering defense forced five turnovers against the junior guard and limited the rest of her team to just 30 points.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wang said her American citizenship was made possible by the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship guarantee and by changes to laws that had restricted Asian immigration.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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But one side of the bar and the front part of the concourse are restricted to North End Zone ticketholders, providing a quick and easy way to grab a drink and get back to your seat in time for kickoff.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20down. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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