holds down

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold down
as in limits
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 holds down Marc Cucurella, who set up the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final, holds down the left. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 Evanston’s Andris Lizenbergs holds down the 20th spot with 2,310. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026 Adams, then, holds down the top spot on the depth chart in that box-to-box role, but Pochettino has also coaxed fantastic performances out of players such as Sebastian Berhalter, McKennie, Tessmann — and even Timmy Tillman — in that role. — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds down
  1. limits
  2. restricts
Verb
  • Mistral’s co-founder told The Economist that Europe needs to build a sovereign AI ecosystem, as Washington increasingly limits overseas access to US cutting-edge models.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
  • As body temperature rises and humidity limits the body’s ability to cool itself, mild symptoms such as cramps and headaches can progress to shortness of breath, dizziness, confusion, nausea, and ultimately life-threatening heat stroke.
    — Laura Schifter, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of limits
Verb
  • Anything that restricts the plant roots’ ability to take up water also reduces the amount of nutrients a plant receives.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Fresco also offers vector brushes, whereas Procreate restricts vector layers to text only.
    — Shelby Putnam Tupper, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026
Definition of restricts

Browse Nearby Words

holds back
holds down
holds forth
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Cite this Entry

“Holds down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20down. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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