HOLD DOWN Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

hold down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of hold down

as in to limit

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hold-down

2 of 2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hold down

Verb

While the victim was being held down, the 17-year-old boy allegedly pulled down his own pants and underwear and sat on the victim's chest. — Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 That’s Khn, the guitarist and bassist, on the left; Klek is the drummer holding down the kit on the right. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Noun

These hold-down test-firings are typically one of the final milestones in a Starship launch campaign before SpaceX moves the rocket to the launch pad. — ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025 Then, 12 hold-down bolts fired and freed the Delta IV Heavy for its climb into space with a top-secret payload for the US government's spy satellite agency. — Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for hold down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold down

Verb

Four in 10 American kids will become adults hampered by obesity, chronic illness, anxiety, depression, or other conditions that can limit their opportunities and shorten their lives.

— Stanley McChrystal, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
Suppressing this same pathway produced the opposite result, limiting the ability to switch behavior, driving longer bouts of the repetitive behavior, as per the release.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of limit

Noun

Push on it and the load distributes across the whole shell instead of finding the weakest fastener.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 July 2026
The humble fastener has enthralled Chamberlain for years—so much so that a tattoo of a singular button is etched into her upper arm.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of fastener

Verb

Students sitting with arms linked at the elbows could only see in shards through a picket of shin guards, restricting their view of the area where classmates and roommates were dragged one by one and zip-tied face down on the spring grass.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Samuel Trachtman, a political scientist with the UC Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative, argues that despite recent legislative progress on the housing crisis, state policies are restricting growth and making California more unaffordable.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of restrict

Noun

Their marketing falsely listed SpaceX and xAI as holdings, the SEC claims, when the funds never held investments in those companies.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Kushner revealed in March that Affinity had made 28 investments so far, but the size of its stake in Phoenix relative to the rest of its holdings remains unclear.

— Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

The spacing between officers tightens when arrests take place.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Its response to a tightening labor market has been to improve fieldworker benefits, including paid time off, holidays, health coverage, and training that goes beyond technical credentials.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of tighten

Noun

Even as Democrats target his Virginia district to capitalize on a favorable 2026 environment, McGuire is doing the opposite of Republicans in some competitive races, who are softening their ties to Trump.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Plus, it can be worn over T-shirts, tank tops, and blouses, like the tie-knot one Stewart wore.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of tie

Noun

The outerwear was seemingly fabricated out of a faux-fur fabric, which added volume to areas like the collar and sleeves.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2026
While many traditional blue-collar workers are seeing a boost, including truckers, the biggest blue collar beneficiaries, according to Bachaud’s data, are welders and pipefitters.

— Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of collar

Browse Nearby Words

holdbacks

hold down

hold-down

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Style

“Hold down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20down. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hold down

verb

noun

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