Base verb
Phrasal verbs with hold
The verb hold combines with 12 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.
12 phrasal verbs · 19 meanings
hold against
1 sense- Continue to blame or dislike someone because of a past action
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- Wait before doing something
hold on
3 senses- Wait for a short time
- 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
3 senses- Stay calm when things are difficult
- Stay united, especially during difficulty
- Stay joined, or keep separate parts joined
hold up
2 senses- Raise and keep raised
- Delay a person or process
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the hold family in Sink In
Drill every sense of hold with spaced repetition — recognition, particle cloze, and meaning recall — so the whole family sticks instead of blurring together.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
1,300+ phrasal verbs26 particle patternsBuilt for B1–C2
