Base verb
Phrasal verbs with hold
The verb hold combines with 11 particles to form everyday phrasal verbs. Each particle steers the meaning in its own direction — here they are with clear definitions and examples, so you can see the whole family at once.
11 phrasal verbs · 16 meanings
hold back
3 senses- Stop yourself from doing or saying something
- Prevent someone or something from progressing
- Refuse to give information or feelings
hold behind
1 sense- Keep someone or something back from going forward
hold down
1 sense- Keep someone or something restrained
hold forth
1 sense- Speak at length, often in a self-important way
hold in
1 sense- Keep contained, refusing to release
hold off
1 sense- Delay doing something
hold on
3 senses- Wait, especially briefly
- Grip something tightly to avoid falling
- Endure or persist through difficulty
hold out
1 sense- Resist or last for a particular time
hold over
1 sense- Postpone something to a later time
hold together
2 senses- Stay calm when things are difficult
- Stay united, especially during difficulty
hold up
1 sense- Raise and keep raised
Practice the hold family in Sink In
Sink In drills every sense of hold with spaced repetition — recognition, particle cloze, and meaning recall — so the whole family sticks instead of blurring together.