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

Maybe someone just puts their forehead on the keyboard, holds down a few keys, and waits to see what letters survive. — New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 Which is why on September 17, 2026, Deadline wants to celebrate the lawyers — especially the ones holding down the Hollywood fort. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 Aug. 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

Fannin, Jenkins and cornerback Tyson Campbell were limited throughout camp.

— Zac Jackson, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Reducing the amount of personal information circulating online may help limit some unwanted outreach.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 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

Other, higher hurdles — namely, how to restrict the president’s ability to profit from digital assets — remain for now uncleared.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
However, their effectiveness may be limited when targets appear at close range or operate in environments where reaction time and maneuvering space are restricted.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of restrict

Noun

That merger reduced the club’s holding in Barca Produccions and turned it into a subsidiary, though the year just past saw more share machinations.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Beyond its vast holdings of US debt, Japan remains one of the premier foreign buyers in global sovereign bond markets, with government debt from major European economies and Australia historically absorbing substantial Japanese capital inflows.

— , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

Its hot iron core -- oversized for such a small world -- cools and contracts along with the mantle and crust, tightening the surface like a girdle to fit its new slimmer self.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
For the thousands of Indiana children who have lost Medicaid as the state tightens restrictions, the toll of the gap in coverage can be severe.

— Marissa Meaor, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of tighten

Noun

The outreach is part of an attempt to rebuild regional ties that deteriorated after Min Aung Hlaing ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government in February 2021 while serving as army chief.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
North Carolina Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives cut all ties with one of their candidates running for the state legislature after her past social media posts about violence against Republicans came to light.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of tie

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hold down

hold-down

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Hold down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20down. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hold down

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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