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
as in fastener
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold down
Jennifer Stolo, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Gray held down the fort while the Red Sox lineup continued a season-long trend of wasting opportunities.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 Apr. 2024
If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire, the company said.
—CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hold down
Verb
Depression, anxiety, and trauma are often compounded by the stress of making ends meet, putting food on the table, holding down a job in an unstable economy, and trying to create stability for children with limited resources.
—Jennifer Stolo, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Gray held down the fort while the Red Sox lineup continued a season-long trend of wasting opportunities.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Noun
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
If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire, the company said.
—CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hold down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold down
Verb
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But the Knicks gave themselves a chance by limiting the Spurs to 14 points on four-for-20 shooting in the third quarter, using a 13-0 run to get back in it and cutting it to 90-75 heading to the fourth.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Reserving a table for these high-profile games will cost $20 per seat, limited to two-seat and four-seat tables.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The sight led him to imagine a new kind of fastener, one that wouldn’t rely on knots or glue.—
Carl Zimmer,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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And new for the season, the brand presented a family of grainy leather and lightweight suede flap bags — in small and mini styles and sizes — with the signature H fastener.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a post-Soviet country restricted by state controls which forbade some basic human rights, as recently as 2013 they were still being told how to behave during their nation’s football matches.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The Australia-Singapore and EU-Singapore digital economy agreements restrict unjustified data localization requirements, while maintaining protections to address legitimate security concerns.—
Leonard Lim,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Ultimately, Evans allegedly told the victims that their curse was tied to finances, and that the only way to remove the curse was to liquidate their holdings and send the money to her in cash or gold bars, according to court documents.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
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Financial pros generally recommend keeping your gold holdings to around five to 10% of your portfolio, maximum.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Things predictably go awry, but the brothers manage to tighten their bond by story's end.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
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Check buttons and zippers regularly and tighten loose threads.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Bucs need help from Saints Tampa Bay fell a half-game behind Carolina in the NFC South with the loss and now will be hoping the 3-10 New Orleans Saints can upset the Panthers on Sunday to get the division back into a tie.—
Alex Valdes,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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The vote came after several members of the panel, some of whom have ties to anti-vaccine groups, questioned the vaccine's safety data and the extent to which the birth dose caused a decline in hepatitis B cases.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The wide surface area is ideal for ironing clothes and curtains, while the more pointed end should be used for carefully ironing out narrower sections, like collars and sleeves.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Aug. 2025
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This builds on the move to automate blue collar jobs by Caterpillar, John Deere and Oshkosh to reduce safety incidents and address the shortage of human labor in quarrying, mining, agriculture, airport logistics and garbage hauling.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20down. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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