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