Expression Cards
323 cards available.
phrasal-verb
hold firm
Meaning
to stay confident and not let fear or doubt take over
Example
In the face of criticism, she continued to **hold firm** to her beliefs.
idiom
hold forth
Meaning
to speak at length about a topic
Example
He loved to **hold forth** on travel stories.
phrasal-verb
hold grudges against
Meaning
to continue feeling angry or resentful toward someone
Example
It’s not healthy to **hold grudges against** your friends.
phrasal-verb
hold in
Meaning
to control your emotions or not express them
Example
She tried to **hold in** her laughter during the meeting.
phrasal-verb
hold in check
Meaning
to control strong emotions before reacting
Example
He tried to **hold in check** his frustration during the meeting.
phrasal-verb
hold in emotions
Meaning
to stop yourself from showing what you feel
Example
He tried to **hold in his emotions** during the meeting.
phrasal-verb
hold it in
Meaning
to stop yourself from showing emotion
Example
He tried to **hold it in**, but the tears came anyway.
phrasal-verb
hold it together
Meaning
to stay calm and not show your emotions when under stress
Example
Even under pressure, she managed to **hold it together**.
idiom
Hold it together with duct tape
Meaning
To keep something functioning despite poor condition or limited resources.
Example
The old car is barely running—we’re **holding it together with duct tape**.
idiom
hold off
Meaning
to delay doing something
Example
Let’s **hold off** on finalizing the order until we confirm the budget.
phrasal-verb
hold off on
Meaning
to delay doing something, especially spending or launching new projects
Example
Investors decided to **hold off on** new ventures until the market improved.
phrasal-verb
hold office
Meaning
to have an official position of authority or power
Example
He has **held office** as the foreign minister for more than five years.
phrasal-verb
hold on
Meaning
to wait for a short time on the phone
Example
Please **hold on** while I transfer your call.
phrasal-verb
hold on for
Meaning
to wait briefly, usually during a call or service
Example
Please **hold on for** a moment while I transfer your call to the billing department.
phrasal-verb
hold on through struggle
Meaning
to stay strong and persistent during hard times
Example
You just have to **hold on through struggle** until things get better.
phrasal-verb
hold on to
Meaning
to keep believing or trying despite difficulties
Example
You must **hold on to** your dreams no matter what happens.
phrasal-verb
hold on to hope
Meaning
to not give up believing that things will get better
Example
No matter how dark it seems, **hold on to hope**.
idiom
hold oneself accountable
Meaning
to take responsibility for one's actions or decisions
Example
A true leader **holds himself accountable** for the team’s failures.
idiom
hold onto
Meaning
to keep possession of something
Example
Hold onto your receipts until the refund clears.
phrasal-verb
hold onto hope
Meaning
to keep believing that good things will happen
Example
No matter how hard life gets, always **hold onto hope**.
phrasal-verb
hold onto values
Meaning
to keep and protect one’s principles despite pressure
Example
A leader should **hold onto values** even when it's not easy.
idiom
Hold out
Meaning
Continue to survive or resist for a long time.
Example
They managed to **hold out** until help arrived.
phrasal-verb
hold out an apology
Meaning
to offer or extend an apology to someone
Example
He **held out an apology** for his earlier comments.
idiom
hold out for
Meaning
to wait to get exactly what you want
Example
She’ll **hold out for** a better offer before signing.