hold on to
hold to
To continue to hold or keep; hold tightly.
When Jane played horse with her father, she held on to him tightly.
The teacher said that if we believed something was true and good we should hold on to it.
The old man held on to his job stubbornly and would not retire.
To stay in control of.
Ann was so frightened that she had to hold on to herself not to scream.
To continue to sing or sound.
The singer held on to the last note of the song for a long time.
hold on
To keep holding tightly; continue to hold strongly; to grasp tightly or firmly.
As Ted was pulling on the rope, it began to slip and Earl cried, "Hold on, Ted!"
The little girl held on to her mother’s hand and refused to let go as they walked through the large crowd of people.
To wait and not hang up a telephone; keep a phone for later use.
Mr. Jones asked me to hold on while he spoke to his secretary.
(on the telephone) Could you please hold on a moment while I get a pencil and paper?
To keep on with a business or job in spite of difficulties.
It was hard to keep the store going during the depression, but Max held on and at last met with success.
To wait a minute; stop. Usually used as a command.
Ждать недолгое время, приостановиться. Обычно используется в повелительном наклонении.
"Hold on!" John's father said, "I want the car tonight."
I’m busy. Hold on a minute, please.
Я занят. Подожди минутку, пожалуйста.
Come on, Mike, hold on. I can’t get ready so quickly.
hold one's breath
To stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous.
The race was so close that everyone was holding his breath at the finish.
To endure great nervousness, anxiety, or excitement.
John held his breath for days before he got word that the college he chose had accepted him.
hold one's end up
hold up one's end
keep one's end up
keep up one's end
To do your share of work; do your part.
Mary washed the dishes so fast that Ann, who was drying them, couldn't keep her end up.
Susan kept up her end of the conversation, but Bill did not talk very much.
Bob said he would lend me his bicycle if I repaired the flat tire, but he didn't keep up his end of the bargain.
hold one's fire
hold fire
To keep back arguments or facts; keep from telling something.
Tow could have hurt Fred by telling what he knew, but he held his fire.
Mary held fire until she had enough information to convince the other club members.
hold one's head up
To show self-respect; not be ashamed; be proud.
When Mr. Murray had paid off his debts, he felt that he could hold his head up again.
hold one's horses
To stop; wait; be patient. Usually used as a command. May be considered rude.
Остановиться, быть терпеливым. Обычно используется в повелительном наклонении. Имеет оттенок грубости или фамильярности.
"Hold your horses!" Mr. Jones said to David when David wanted to call the police.
Don’t make a quick decision. Hold your horses.
Не принимай поспешных решений. Потерпи.
hold one's own
To keep your position; avoid losing ground; keep your advantage, wealth, or condition without loss.
Mr. Smith could not build up his business, but he held his own.
The team held its own after the first quarter.
Mary had a hard time after the operation, but soon she was holding her own.