Commonly confused
Hold up vs Hold down
“Hold up” and “Hold down” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is what each one means, with examples — and the difference that learners most often miss.
The key difference
Hold up means raise and keep raised. Hold down means keep someone or something restrained.
hold up
- 1
Raise and keep raised
“Hold up the sign so everyone can see it.”
hold down
- 1
Keep someone or something restrained
“It's hard to hold down a job and study.”
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic.