| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| hold out for |
wait to get full price, drive a hard bargain
|
He'll hold out for the full price of his car. He'll wait.
|
| hold that over my head |
remind me of my mistake, judge me by a failure
|
My parking ticket - is he going to hold that over my head?
|
| hold the fort |
manage until we return, look after things
|
The manager asked me to hold the fort while he was gone.
|
| hold the phone |
wait a minute, let me think about it
|
"Dad, I'm going to quit school." "Hold the phone! Let's talk."
|
| hold the purse strings |
control how much is spent, decide when to spend
|
He does the talking, but she holds the purse strings.
|
| hold up |
stall, be unable to go, be unable to continue
|
The plane was held up because of a snowstorm - delayed an hour.
|
| hold up |
use a gun in a robbery, mugged
|
A robber held up the store and took the money from the till.
|
| hold up |
cope, not cry, not lose control of your grief
|
Teri has endured a lot of pain. How's she holding up?
|
| hold water |
be logical, be sensible
|
He can't be in two places at once. His story doesn't hold water.
|
| hold you up |
delay you, cause you to be late
|
Did the traffic hold you up? Is that why you were late?
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