I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a bag holds sth
▪
I don't think that bag will hold all those books..
a container holds sth
▪
How much liquid will this container hold?
a court rules/orders/holds sth
▪
The court ruled that the penalty was not excessive.
a trial is held
▪
We believe the trial will be held sometime next month.
be held without bail
▪
He was being held without bail pending another hearing.
be held/kept in custody
▪
The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.
be stuck/caught/held up in traffic
▪
Sorry I’m late – I was stuck in traffic.
bear/hold etc no grudge
▪
He insisted that he held no grudge against Taylor.
caught hold of
▪
Miss Perry caught hold of my sleeve and pulled me back.
deeply held
▪
deeply held religious beliefs
funeral...held
▪
The funeral will be held at St. Martin’s Church.
grabbed hold of
▪
Kay grabbed hold of my arm to stop herself falling.
hang on a sec/hold on a sec/just a sec etc (= wait a short time )
▪
‘Is Al there?’ ‘Hold on a sec, I’ll check.’
have/hold a competition
▪
Each year the school holds a painting competition.
have/hold a contest
▪
My college holds an athletics contest once a year.
have/hold a festival
▪
Tucson had a film festival last month.
have/hold a grudge
▪
The police asked if anyone might have had a grudge against the victim.
have/hold a lease
▪
Who has the lease on the flat?
have/hold a majority
▪
The Democratic party has a majority in the Senate.
have/hold a passport
▪
I have a Canadian passport.
have/hold a reception
▪
The wedding reception will be held at The Grand Hotel.
have/hold a seat
▪
The Liberals now hold 292 seats in Parliament.
have/hold a view (= have an opinion )
▪
He has very left-wing views.
have/hold an election
▪
The government plans to hold an election in November.
have/hold an evening (= organize an event in the evening )
▪
The college is holding an open evening on May 6th for year 9 to 11 pupils.
have/hold an opinion
▪
Everyone seemed to have a different opinion.
▪
He holds strong opinions on these issues.
have/hold dominion over sb/sth
▪
The King held dominion over a vast area.
have/hold talks
▪
He called on the rebels to hold talks with the government.
have/hold/carry a gun
▪
I could see he was carrying a gun.
have/hold/own shares
▪
A lot of the employees own shares in the company.
held a ballot
▪
Workers at the plant held a ballot and rejected strike action.
held accountable
▪
The hospital should be held accountable for the quality of care it gives.
held captive (= kept as a prisoner )
▪
a pilot who was held captive for six years
held hostage to
▪
Our country must not be held hostage to our past.
held in detention
▪
Willis was held in detention for five years.
held in escrow
▪
a property held in escrow
held in great affection (= loved and cared about a lot )
▪
The church was held in great affection by the local residents.
held in store
▪
As we left, I wondered what the future held in store .
held in trust
▪
The money your father left you will be held in trust until you are 21.
held incommunicado
▪
He is reportedly being held incommunicado at a military prison.
held sacred
▪
He had no respect for everything I held sacred .
held up to ridicule (= suffered ridicule )
▪
The government’s proposals were held up to ridicule by opposition ministers.
held...press conference
▪
The Green Party held a press conference the next day.
hold a belief
▪
He held this belief until the day he died.
hold a ceremony
▪
A ceremony was held in Berlin to mark the occasion.
hold a class (= provide a class )
▪
Evening classes are held in the local school.
hold a clinic (= arrange for a clinic to take place )
▪
The hospital holds vaccination clinics once a fortnight.
hold a clue ( also yield a clue formal ) (= provide one )
▪
The poem itself holds a clue about who it was written for.
hold a conference (= have one )
▪
Their annual conference was held in Chicago.
hold a consultation
▪
Further consultations will be held with local residents.
hold a degree formal (= have one )
▪
The ideal candidate will hold a degree in physical chemistry.
hold a feast (= arrange for a feast to take place )
▪
The feast was held in the college dining hall.
hold a knife
▪
In his hand, he held a long knife.
hold a licence British English (= have a licence )
▪
Police said that the man did not hold a firearms licence.
hold a meeting formal (= have a meeting )
▪
The meetings are usually held on a Friday.
hold a party
▪
The party was held at his flat.
hold a position (= have it )
▪
She had previously held a senior position in another school.
hold a position (= stay in a position )
▪
Pull in your tummy muscles and hold that position.
hold a post (= have a job )
▪
He had previously held the post of Foreign Minister.
hold a race
▪
The race will be held on February 25th.
hold a rank
▪
From 1 Dec 1914 to 31 Oct 1915 he held the rank of captain.
hold a record (= have it )
▪
Davies holds the record for most points in a season.
hold an execution (= carry one out )
▪
The executions will be held later today.
hold an inquiry
▪
The government has refused to hold an inquiry into the incident.
hold back the tears (= not cry even though you feel like crying )
▪
She gave her version of events, often struggling to hold back the tears.
hold down a job (= keep a job )
▪
He had never been able to hold down a job.
hold hands (with sb)
▪
Joanne and Kevin held hands on the sofa.
hold office (= have a particular important job or position )
▪
Trujillo held office as finance minister.
hold out hope (= say that you think something is likely )
▪
Negotiators did not hold out much hope of a peaceful solution.
hold power (= be in power )
▪
Economic disaster befell the country during the decade when he held power.
hold promise (= seem likely to be good or successful – used of things )
▪
The Internet clearly held great promise as an educational tool.
hold sb in high/great esteem
▪
The critics held him in high esteem as an actor.
hold sb responsible (for sth)
▪
If anything goes wrong, I will hold you personally responsible .
hold sb to their promise (= make them keep it )
▪
The next day, Gareth held me to my promise to take him fishing.
hold sb up as an example (= use someone as a good example of something )
▪
He was held up as an example to the younger athletes.
hold sb/sth in contempt (= have a low opinion of something or someone, and show it )
▪
He was one of those men who hold in contempt those who do not share his point of view.
hold sb/sth in high esteem/regard (= respect them very much )
▪
As an educationalist, he was held in very high esteem.
▪
Romsey earned high praise from his boss.
hold sb/sth in high regard
▪
Doctors are held in high regard by society.
hold sb’s gaze (= keep looking at someone who is looking at you )
▪
He held her gaze for a few seconds, then continued eating.
hold sway
▪
These old attitudes still hold sway in the church.
hold the championship
▪
The championships are being held next Sunday at the San Jose Arena.
Hold the line (= wait on the phone )
▪
Hold the line , please, and I’ll put you through to our sales department.
Hold tight
▪
Hold tight to the handrail!
hold your breath (= not breathe out for a few seconds or minutes )
▪
How long can you hold your breath underwater?
hold your nose (= so that you cannot smell a bad smell )
▪
The smell was so revolting that I had to hold my nose.
hold/bear sth aloft
▪
He emerged, holding a baby aloft.
hold/conduct a service
▪
The service was held in the chapel.
hold/control the purse strings
▪
It all comes down to who holds the purse strings.
hold/draw sb close (= hold someone against your body )
▪
He drew her close to him.
hold...general election (= have a general election )
▪
an attempt to persuade the government to hold a general election
hold/have a stake in sth
▪
He holds a 51% stake in the firm.
hold/have values
▪
People brought up in different times hold different social values.
hold/host a celebration formal:
▪
The company is holding a celebration for its 75th anniversary.
holding company
holding pattern
▪
My career is in a holding pattern right now.
holding...hostage (= keeping them as hostages )
▪
The group are holding two tourists hostage .
holding...personally responsible
▪
I’m holding you personally responsible for this mess!
hold...inquest
▪
The coroner will hold an inquest into the deaths.
hold...inquest
▪
The Tories will hold a private inquest into why they were defeated.
hold/keep your nerve (= remain calm and confident in a difficult situation )
▪
The team held their nerve and went on to win.
hold/keep (yourself) aloof from sth
▪
The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.
hold/mount/stage an exhibition formal (= have an exhibition )
▪
Hayward Gallery is mounting an impressive exhibition of new British artists.
hold...referendum
▪
The city council agreed to hold a referendum on the issue in November.
hold/remain steady
▪
A recent poll showed his approval rating holding steady at 53 percent.
holds the balance of power (= is able to make either side more powerful than the other by supporting them )
▪
A small centre party holds the balance of power in the Assembly.
holds...spellbound
▪
‘King Lear’ still holds audiences spellbound .
hold/stage a demonstration (= organize and take part in one )
▪
In April, students began holding demonstrations to demand more freedom.
hold/stage a rally
▪
The students had been refused permission to hold their rally in Victory Square.
hold/stage a sit-in
▪
Several thousand students staged sit-ins and protest marches.
hold/stage an event (= organize a public event )
▪
The charity plans to stage several fund-raising events this year.
hold/stage/mount a protest
▪
Opponents of the plan have staged several protests.
hold/store sth on a computer
▪
This data is all held on a central computer.
hold...summit
▪
The two presidents agreed to hold a summit in the spring.
keep a tight grip/hold/rein on sth (= control it very firmly )
▪
The former dictator still keeps a tight grip on power.
▪
Anna was determined to keep a tight hold on her feelings.
keep/hold onto a seat ( also retain a seat formal ) (= not lose it in an election )
▪
He is unlikely to retain his seat after next year's election.
▪
Labour managed to hold the seat, but with a reduced majority.
keep/hold yourself aloof (from sb)
▪
She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.
kept a tight hold on
▪
His mother kept a tight hold on his hand.
release your grip/hold (on sb/sth)
▪
The sudden noise made him release his hold on her arm.
sb's hand holds sth
▪
His other hand was holding his mobile phone.
sb’s luck holds (= they continue having good luck )
▪
Our luck held, and the weather remained fine.
securely locked/fastened/attached/held etc
▪
All firearms should be kept securely locked in a cabinet.
sth holds its value (= its value does not fall over time )
▪
Good quality furniture should hold its value.
sth holds/houses a collection formal
▪
The museum holds a comprehensive collection of photographs from that period.
stretch/hold out your arms
▪
I dreamt I saw my mother again with her arms stretched out towards me.
strongly held/deeply held views (= strong views that someone is unwilling to change )
▪
He is known for his strongly held views on modern art.
strongly held/deeply held views (= strong views that someone is unwilling to change )
▪
He is known for his strongly held views on modern art.
take/hold a position (= have an opinion )
▪
We take the position that these changes are to be welcomed.
take/hold sb in your arms (= gently put your arms around someone you love )
▪
He took her in his arms and kissed her.
the police hold sb ( also the police detain sb formal ) (= keep them at a police station )
▪
The police can hold suspects for up to 48 hours without charge.
▪
The police detained several activists, but released them after questioning.
the weather holds (out) (= good weather continues in the same way )
▪
The forecast said the weather should hold until Tuesday.
what the future holds (= what will happen )
▪
He is worried about what the future holds for the company.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
still
▪
He was still holding my arm but there was space between us.
▪
If both parties committed abandonment, adultery, or extreme cruelty, the union was still held to be inviolate.
▪
A little while later, still holding Maura in his arms, Michael threw his handful of dirt on to the coffin.
▪
I giggled with him, still holding back.
▪
However, the yacht club flourishes, and the regatta is still held .
▪
Why in the name of Bob Dole dressed as Carmen Miranda is that great steaming nonsense still held ?
▪
He says they would still hold all the Liberal Deomcrat strongholds in the South.
▪
Remove the glass from the water, still holding it vertically, open side down.
■ NOUN
baby
▪
He could see a woman holding a young baby standing at the end of the hall.
▪
Her recovery had been slow, and she had not been able to see or hold her baby for twenty-four hours.
▪
Like many others, the problem was mostly the way she held the baby .
▪
When holding their baby , they experienced an overwhelming feeling of loving connection.
▪
Both hands free A sling like this enables you to hold your baby close without using your hands.
▪
Clarisa was sitting up in bed, propped against a pillow and holding the baby .
▪
Dad had his arm round Carrie, Carrie was cuddling Zen, Crystal was holding the new baby .
▪
Remember how Matt had to learn to hold his babies tight when they cried and had to overcome the boredom he felt?
balance
▪
During the general election the doggie vote could hold the balance of power.
▪
Since 1969 the centrist Free Democrats have held the balance of power in the Bundestag.
▪
But despite their endorsement in the municipal elections last October, it is not the moderates who hold the balance of power.
▪
A nebulous collective leadership, including the chiefs of the powerful armed forces, may still be holding the balance of power.
▪
Thomas Cranmer and Aleister Crowley were held in uneasy balance in his sympathies.
▪
One other group is expected to get more than 23 seats - and therefore to hold the balance of power.
belief
▪
Along with many of his contemporaries, Mercator held the Baconian belief that knowledge should be exploited for utilitarian ends.
▪
We are of the deeply held belief that many human beings have come to behave as materialistic tyrants.
▪
Do you hold any specific beliefs about what might be called beauty?
▪
Groups of work-inhibited students may reinforce mutually held beliefs that school is a negative environment.
▪
It was the commonly held belief then that never again would this communal beast be allowed to rear its head.
▪
We constantly challenged and reviewed our own most devoutly held beliefs .
▪
Ten years later, his new book shows that he no longer holds such a belief .
▪
He held a peculiar scientific belief relating to this matter.
breath
▪
He examined the pieces with the naked eye, then with his glass, while behind him Isobel held her breath .
▪
We held our breath from the fourth pick on.
▪
She didn't want to hear, but she held her breath and listened for any sound.
▪
As the others crossed their fingers and held their breath , he gently eased away the back plate.
▪
An anxious nation holds its breath .
▪
She held her breath and listened.
▪
We held our breath as Loi carefully pulled in the last few yards of line hand over hand.
conference
▪
In 1830, the National Association held its first conference .
▪
No one held a news conference to tout this one, and days passed before anyone caught wind of it.
▪
It holds an overnight conference during the Easter vacation.
▪
Fujimori said previous radio contacts broke off after the guerrillas held an impromptu news conference , disrupting negotiations up to that point.
▪
If it had only been possible to hold the conference without him!
▪
Recently, for example, Clinton held a news conference to explain what he had been doing vis-a-vis political contributors.
▪
The Maastricht treaty commits them to holding a big treaty-revising conference in 1996.
▪
The jurors in the criminal trial did not hold a news conference after their verdict and in many cases avoided in-depth interviews.
court
▪
If one party freely consents to a clause, a court is unlikely to hold it unreasonable.
▪
A key question for the court is whether Jackson held his views about Microsoft before he began hearing the case.
▪
First, a court might hold that there was no authority to make the rule and invalidate it.
▪
Several courts have held , however, that express disclaimers in employee handbooks can negate any promises made.
▪
Yesterday a court agreed to police holding them a further 36 hours.
▪
Some courts have held prior review procedures unconstitutional because they lacked either clear standards or due process safeguards.
▪
Alternatively, the court may hold that occupancy was shared between the guest and the hotel.
▪
Fears about the admissibility of electronic invoices as evidence in court proceedings have held back some factors.
election
▪
Yet there are still no plans to hold an election .
▪
Oklahoma is expected to hold a special election on the issue early next year.
▪
Why else would you hold an election ?
▪
Dos Santos has suggested that he may hold national elections next year.
▪
After Diem refused to hold the elections in 1956, meanwhile, the Viet Minh in the South grew restive.
▪
He challenged de Klerk to hold a whites-only election .
▪
Why, oh why, could not the debate on the Bill be held after the general election ?
exhibition
▪
Here are held temporary art exhibitions .
▪
The races are held at Exhibition Place.
▪
Leigh's retainer as a consultant has supported the space, which held five exhibitions until it closed this fall.
▪
In 1933 Schulz held exhibitions of his drawings and engravings in Warsaw.
▪
The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, which held its inaugural exhibition in 1888, came into being through his initiative.
hand
▪
His hand slid downwards, holding hers in a grip that was suddenly unbreakable.
▪
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
▪
I hold your hand and you hold mine.
▪
A single Macintosh disk, on the other hand , could hold ten of those chapters!
▪
A gasp escaped her as his arms clasped her against him, one hand holding her head to his shoulder.
▪
The hands that held the lines were freckled like tortillas.
▪
A hand holding a scrap of hanky pressed on her veil where her mouth was.
▪
I wait, hands held high, elbows still threatening to drip one last drop.
head
▪
Note how they hold their heads high above the surface.
▪
I saw how he held his head , slightly stiffly, and how the very air around him seemed charged.
▪
These teachers exerted considerable influence within the school, because they held positions as heads of departments or as year heads.
▪
He held my head as I pumped away.
▪
She held her head proudly and, even before she moved, conveyed a feline quality of grace and languor.
▪
A gladiator named Justice holding the distinctive Salinas head in one hand, a bloodied sword in the other.
▪
A gasp escaped her as his arms clasped her against him, one hand holding her head to his shoulder.
▪
The writer reached his side a minute after, to find General Hill holding the head and shoulders of the wounded chief.
hope
▪
And he could hold out no hope of any financial assistance.
▪
The sky, however, held out hope .
▪
When Topaz arrived at the residence of Lord Oswin Lovat she didn't hold out much hope of prising his purse open.
▪
Still, I held on to my hope .
▪
I want Fairfax to tell me, but I don't hold out much hope .
▪
I don't hold out much hope though!
▪
Look, don't hold out too much hope that you're going to be successful in this.
▪
For if the landscape holds some hope to the left it brings with it threats from the right.
hostage
▪
On 26 July 1986 Father Lawrence Jenco was released after being held hostage for 18 months.
▪
Don Nickles, R-Okla. who is holding the bill hostage because Sen.
▪
At least Shudder To Think refuse to hold history hostage .
▪
The Packers are owned by their fans, so the city can not be held hostage for a new stadium.
▪
One is the extent of her familiarity with Nestor Cerpa Cartolini, the leader of the rebels holding the hostages .
▪
In effect, Gingrich is holding the Interior Department hostage to his attempt to put new restrictions on Medicare patients.
▪
Yet, the Republican Party is being held hostage by the religious zealots.
key
▪
Then, hold down the Shift key and move the cursor to the end of the block you want selected.
▪
Teachers frequently believe it is the parents who hold the key and that they should do more to help.
▪
Jennifer Smith holds the key to the 1996 election, so it is as well to get to know her.
▪
Privatization could hold the key to upgrading the infrastructure.
▪
Zoom Control Move mouse over the molecule, hold Shift key , click and hold mouse button and drag.
▪
Some threatened species have special qualities or abilities and may hold the key to undiscovered benefits.
▪
That second paradox, I believe, holds the key to the mysteries that still envelop the new regime.
▪
It was a great exit, but I should have held on to the keys .
meeting
▪
Newcastle held their annual general meeting last night behind closed doors.
▪
It involves presentations to staff and parents, setting up exhibitions and holding meetings with key staff members.
▪
In the absence of conclusive consensus, it was agreed to hold a further meeting in Madrid in April 1991.
▪
We also hold regular meetings of volunteers to discuss issues of concern and encourage one another.
▪
Management is holding a series of meetings with workers today.
▪
If this were the case it would explain why they had not held meetings on this occasion.
▪
Schools should also hold meetings for prospective parents.
▪
The only optimistic statement came from the third cadre of military transport, which had recently held two cell meetings .
office
▪
High priority is given to any of their senior members who have held ministerial office .
▪
He stated that the civil service had been opened to people of all parties who were qualified to hold office .
▪
During the reign of John, Hugh de Neville held that office .
▪
A citizen should play an active part.-He might hold a local office .
▪
Other peers who hold or have held high judicial office may sit but rarely do so.
▪
Nor did it stipulate how long the incumbent would hold office until fresh elections produced a successful candidate.
▪
After the Restoration he was one of those not actually attainted but perpetually disabled from holding any office .
▪
A Director so appointed shall hold office only until the next following annual general meeting.
position
▪
In both cases Black might still be able to hold the position .
▪
Mayers has been with the company for 10 years and has held several positions .
▪
He has also held the position of factory manager.
▪
Paul, and has held other executive positions in the Twin Cities and Grand Forks area.
▪
These teachers exerted considerable influence within the school, because they held positions as heads of departments or as year heads.
▪
Still, the region holds a respectable position in the information-heavy world.
▪
Even if you hold some position of great authority, you don't have to be solemn all the time.
▪
I had advanced through the ranks and held a responsible middle-management position .
post
▪
That did not make him a great writer, nor did that fact prevent his holding an important literary post .
▪
House Republican Conference rules prohibit a censured lawmaker from being a committee chairman or holding a leadership post .
▪
She held the post till her retirement thirty years later.
▪
Two of the ministers particularly distinguished themselves by holding the post for a six-month period.
▪
He held the post until November 1922 - the longest period for which a Weimar Chancellor had yet survived.
▪
Zlatoper has held several Pentagon posts , including military assistant to the secretary of defense from 1983 to 1985.
▪
He had held the post only since January.
▪
The proportion of women who hold senior political posts remains low.
promise
▪
So too the yawning depths of the wave, even while threatening annihilation, hold out the promise of rebirth.
▪
Frustration of my plans to lighten the disaster will convince people that the future holds no promise to them.
▪
Clark's work clearly holds promise of a new class of antimalarials, even though there is much still to be done.
▪
State access Smart communities hold a lot of promise for state officials.
▪
For the moment Christmas on the slopes holds little promise .
▪
It is an experience that holds out promise of perfection.
▪
The report presents a strong case for continuing work on gasification although south south cooperation would seem to hold most promise .
▪
Economic advance still holds little promise of betterment for the average man in many countries.
record
▪
The situation is modified when records are stored in buckets holding several records, but synonyms still occur.
▪
Brian Treggs holds the record with 167 career receptions.
▪
They also hold the League's record score a 21-0 win over North Skelton Rovers in 1895.
▪
And it came from a famous maker: another Farman, a Goliath, had held the endurance record in 1921.
▪
How long should I hold on to records ?
▪
Before that, Microsoft Corp. held the record of 47. 93 million shares traded, on June 6, 1994.
▪
Finance holds income and expenditure records , together with annual accounts, departmental expenditure records, and an Asset Register.
▪
It held the box-office record until Gone with the wind moved more tickets in 1939 and 1940.
referendum
▪
We should not go so far as to hold a referendum , but the people must have the final say.
▪
If it is approved, 30-day period opens for anyone wishing to hold a referendum drive to overturn the deal.
▪
On the subject of the draft union treaty, Gorbachev introduced the idea of holding a referendum on it throughout the country.
▪
Moldavia refused to hold the referendum on the grounds that it would worsen ethnic tensions in the republic.
▪
Why hold a referendum , when no one could challenge the imposition of his will?
▪
It has prompted President De Klerk to hold a referendum to guage white support on ending apartheid.
▪
June 25: Moldavia's President Snegur announced that the republic would hold a referendum on independence in the autumn.
▪
In 1992 western governments had allowed Bosnia to hold a referendum and become an independent state.
seat
▪
In fact, if that result were repeated we would hold all our 28 seats and gain four more from Labour.
▪
The group of smaller Catholic parties allied with Berlusconi hold 34 seats .
▪
For the moment, Mr Rocard is probably just praying that he can hold on to his seat in the Yvelines.
▪
I leaned forward, holding on to the seat in front of me.
▪
I was floating, held by my seat belt.
▪
Allen Hightower, a Democrat who has held his seat since 1983.
▪
He was returned for Aldershot in 1970 and held the seat until 1997, when he did not seek re-election.
▪
Republicans, at the moment, hold 41 seats while Democrats have 37.
view
▪
I used to hold a similar view .
▪
The percentage of voters who hold a favorable view of Gramm has declined from 54 percent in 1990 to 41 percent.
▪
Freud, however, did not hold this view and hoped to find the true root of his patients' hysteria.
▪
One who held to this view was Lord Kelvin himself.
▪
There is a further complication in that individuals hold views about health at a variety of different levels of analysis.
▪
That was not a widely held view when Republicans arrived here a week ago.
▪
The economic conditions of the 19705 do not lead to optimism if one continues to hold this view .
▪
At the end of his first six months in office, 45 percent of Texans surveyed held a negative view of Clinton.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a firm grip/hold/grasp etc
▪
As darkness gains a firmer grip the songbirds fade and the owls start.
▪
As soon as one does so, its lips close around it, giving it a firm hold.
▪
But at current levels the shares are a firm hold.
▪
Choose a firm hold variant which will keep your style in place during winder weather and light drizzle.
▪
Clumps of sturdy weed grew wherever they could take a firm hold.
▪
I keep a firm grip on my hat and stare into the blustery abyss.
▪
It's safe but you need to have a firm grip to cut a 13-amp flex.
▪
Usually this happens because the task is too broadly stated to get a firm grasp on it.
a tight hold/grip
▪
The new business manager has a tight hold on the budget.
▪
Apple, however, kept a tight grip on its technology and suffered the consequences.
▪
Dominic crept carefully down the stairs, keeping a tight hold on the gleaming mahogany banister.
▪
He had a tight hold on the audience, totally in command of his band.
▪
It should not be imagined that the tiny Party élite at either of these provincial levels could maintain a tight hold.
▪
She would be keeping a tight hold on her feelings from now on.
▪
The best way for the government to achieve this is to keep a tight grip on the tigerish tendencies of the economy.
▪
The purge reflects the party leadership's concern with keeping a tight hold on the political reins.
▪
We got up, he pushed me roughly towards the door, keeping a tight hold of me.
be stuck/held fast
▪
A character who is held fast can not move or fight, and is treated as prone.
▪
Balor was struggling and writhing, but his limbs were held fast and only his thick, shapeless body could move.
▪
Persephone sprang into her arms and was held fast there.
▪
She tried to pull her hand free, but it was held fast .
▪
She tried to struggle, but she was held fast .
can't hold a candle to sb/sth
▪
Basketball stars today can't hold a candle to Michael Jordan.
don't hold your breath
▪
If you're waiting for the Cubs to win the series, don't hold your breath .
extend/offer/hold out etc an olive branch (to sb)
get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick
have a sure hold/footing
have/hold sth in your hot little hand
have/hold/want no truck with sb/sth
▪
But it does lead inevitably to ignorance, for you can not understand what you deliberately chose to have no truck with.
▪
Its radicals, who dominate the leadership, want no truck with Mr Gorbachev.
▪
Then the people who get penalised are the majority who want no truck with him.
▪
We in the Conservative Party have no truck with that style of gutter journalism which we were forced to endure last Sunday.
hold court
▪
The days when he held court at the hotel's supper club seem far away now.
▪
Artists who have arrived at that position are expected to sit still and hold court .
▪
Baseball raconteur Bill Rigney is holding court at a window table.
▪
For hour after hour, without a break, clearly relishing the attention, Kevorkian holds court .
▪
I am holding court , lady of the mansion.
▪
Instead, he could hold court for his many buyers in his studio garage.
▪
Ken Bradshaw was holding court among a handful of Waimea veterans.
▪
Somewhere in the smoky crowd the authoress and photographer, Jill Freedman from New York, was holding court .
hold sb for ransom
hold sb to ransom
▪
The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.
▪
What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom ?
▪
By his behaviour Yeltsin has held Clinton to ransom .
▪
It attacks the foundations of a free society, encouraging those with industrial or commercial muscle to hold others to ransom .
▪
The countries that control it will be able to hold their clients to ransom .
▪
The idea of one global power holding the other to ransom seems less credible now than it has done previously.
▪
They could buy out national debts, hold governments to ransom , close down whole economies if they wanted to.
▪
What's outrageous is that one powerful and greedy bully, followed by its lackeys, can hold the world to ransom .
▪
Without some such law the rich could hold the poor to ransom .
hold sth at arm's length
hold sth dear
▪
Everything I held dear was destroyed in the war.
hold the aces
hold up your head
▪
He had held up his head in the most exalted company.
▪
How does he hold up his head if he knows his wife is deceiving him?
hold/hang on for/like grim death
hold/have sb in the palm of your hand
▪
She's got the whole committee in the palm of her hand.
hold/keep your end up
▪
It helped them keep their end up in battle, too, claim historians.
▪
It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their end up at this level of competition.
▪
Richter kept his end up by arranging a press visit to Huemul Island on 21 June, 1951.
hold/keep your peace
▪
And since the credit accrued to him, he held his peace .
▪
But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace .
▪
But she held her peace and waited for the miracle.
▪
Colonel Fergusson nodded indulgently at such pertness and obstinacy, but held his peace .
▪
Gorbachev, like any husband in his circumstances, kept his peace .
▪
No, better to hold her peace and pretend.
▪
So I decide to hold my peace for a little while longer.
▪
Why did he want to hold his peace ?
hold/stand your ground
▪
As his father approached, Richard retreated steadily, never once daring to stand his ground against him.
▪
I calculate, I stand my ground .
▪
Not enough to start a war; just enough to let me stand my ground without having to think about it first.
▪
Richmann stood his ground , certain he would be able to jump out of the. way if things went wrong.
▪
The guide, however, stood his ground , frantically giving me unrecognizable signs.
▪
The Housing Executive stood its ground and refused to transfer money earmarked for other projects.
▪
Williams' job was to hold his ground or drop into pass coverage.
▪
You know when to stand your ground and when to give in.
keep/hold sb at arm's length
▪
Economic policies kept the Soviet Union and Japan at arm's length during the Cold War.
keep/hold sb/sth in check
▪
The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check .
▪
The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.
▪
A small bag of zeolite was used for three days, every two weeks to keep ammonia in check .
▪
But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check .
▪
Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.
▪
His own temper rose, but he held it in check .
▪
In one important area the Navy held its ambitions in check for bargaining reasons within the Whitehall market-place.
▪
Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check .
▪
What is new is that the controls which held this population in check no longer exist.
keep/hold sth at bay
▪
Sandbags kept the floodwaters at bay .
▪
The government hopes to keep inflation at bay .
▪
All in all, the eatery is a breakfast bargain, with enough different components to keep boredom at bay .
▪
Another technique for keeping performance anxiety at bay is the group sing-along.
▪
Brown has kept the tumult at bay .
▪
Concentrating on Emma would help to keep her worries at bay for a little while.
▪
He was gritting his teeth against the pain, keeping it at bay while he studied the stump, the severed hand.
▪
My voice holds them at bay .
▪
She holds the adventurers at bay by holding the scroll over a candle flame and threatening to destroy it.
▪
Two green glazed lions guarded the gates to keep evil spirits at bay .
put/hold a gun to sb's head
▪
He might as well have put a gun to my head.
stand/hold firm
▪
Although momentarily tempted by the seductively rich chocolate dessert Sabrina's willpower held firm and she gave it to Graham.
▪
Another went to a selectman for standing firm .
▪
But de Gaulle held firm because he knew that time was working in his favour.
▪
C., held firm , since the federal government kept hiring more and more bureaucrats.
▪
He stands firm on his convictions.
▪
Last week the closely held firm announced it had sold $ 17. 25 million worth of limited partnership interests.
▪
Mr Scargill urged the miners to prepare for battle: they must stand firm over their wage claim.
▪
They need to describe initially what issues they want to stand firm on and what issues they can give way to.
stand/serve/hold sb in good stead
▪
As a small boy, I devised my own set of cartoon animals, and they now stood me in good stead .
▪
But her beloved circus may have served her in better stead than regular outings to, say, the ballet.
▪
Despite his lack of political experience, Clouthier's 20-year leadership of business organisations stood him in good stead .
▪
Insomnia would stand him in good stead in this expanse of knee-high cover.
▪
Now we had moved on to bigger and better things, this predictability still stood us in good stead .
▪
These shoes had stood him in good stead .
▪
This habit of work, which is by now natural to me, has stood me in good stead .
▪
Those contacts, he says, still serve him in good stead today.
wait a minute/just a minute/hold on a minute/hang on a minute
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
A blank data disk can hold about 360,000 characters.
▪
a situation in which a husband and wife both hold shares in a family company
▪
A smiling woman holding a can of beer came over to us.
▪
As long as the mild weather holds, you can keep planting.
▪
Each carton holds 113 oranges.
▪
Heat the stock in a pot large enough to hold the fish.
▪
I held her until she went to sleep.
▪
I held the money tightly in my hand.
▪
I got the post office to hold our mail while we were on vacation.
▪
I just want a shelf that will hold some plants.
▪
I took a glass of champagne from the tray the waiter held out.
▪
IBM still holds shares in the new company.
▪
In the photograph there was a small boy holding a flag.
▪
Lost items will be held for thirty days.
▪
Militant prisoners held 24 guards hostage on Friday, as jail unrest spread throughout the country.
▪
No one knows where the kidnapped woman is being held.
▪
Police are holding two men for questioning in connection with the robbery.
▪
Several tourists were being held captive by rebels in Kashmir.
▪
She held a baby in her arms.
▪
She works for Le Monde, where the staff hold a significant stake in the company.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Galvanized metal buckets, filled with ice, can hold beverages such as small bottles of ice tea, juices and water.
▪
I held him under the spigot and squeezed his chest as the icy water ran over him.
▪
No state yet to hold a primary has as many major media markets as Ohio.
▪
Plans are well advanced to hold two-day Workshops for staff of colleges invited to progress their Pilot Proposals to Stage 2.
▪
So she rode slowly through them, mostly holding her breath and praying that they wouldn't charge at her.
▪
The Van Gogh holds the world auction price record of $ 82.5m.
▪
Twenty-four solar systems held by the enemy had recently been destroyed.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
firm
▪
But at current levels the shares are a firm hold .
▪
As she staggered awkwardly, he grabbed firm hold of the sagging pyjama-jacket, arresting her flight as he held her there.
▪
Clumps of sturdy weed grew wherever they could take a firm hold .
▪
As soon as one does so, its lips close around it, giving it a firm hold .
▪
Recognizing the all-too familiar symptoms, Manville fought against the gathering depression before it took too firm a hold on him.
▪
Each brush has a heat-resistant handle with a rubber-neck grip for firm hold while you style.
▪
Teachers of reading need to keep a firm hold of their hats, their expertise and their integrity.
strong
▪
Many other features of late medieval Catholicism exercised a similarly strong hold over the popular mind.
▪
Styled by Scissors Gel maintains its strong hold on styling as one of the essential hair products for men.
▪
Evil has such a strong hold on Gollum that he does not have control over his own mind any more.
tight
▪
She would be keeping a tight hold on her feelings from now on.
▪
We got up, he pushed me roughly towards the door, keeping a tight hold of me.
▪
The tighter political hold was in part a reaction to the worsening economic and organizational situation in cultural affairs.
▪
He had a tight hold on the audience, totally in command of his band.
▪
Philip gripped tight hold of Caspar's collar.
▪
The tight hold was maintained by Thatcher's government.
▪
For Winnie herself, it required the tightest hold , the fumes of the stuff, to keep her wits about her.
▪
Keep tight hold and continue while there's time.
■ NOUN
cargo
▪
She was in the cargo hold , standing on the ribbed floor of the shuttle next to the loading hatch.
▪
And a third beam was forced into the cargo hold .
▪
Demyonov had gone home last week in an elaborate casket dark inside the cargo hold of a Tupolev airliner.
▪
That would force airline workers to retrieve that travelers' bag from the cargo hold .
▪
Chests of tea and bales of wool can be found in the lower cargo hold .
▪
There were dull thuds from the cargo hold .
▪
If the wiring were overheating, it could have caused oxygen-generating canisters in the cargo hold to explode, he said.
■ VERB
break
▪
Huey the Snake had a grip on the local drugs network, so the Richardson's moved in to break his hold .
▪
He is not a moderate who wants to break the conservative hold on the party.
▪
Generally, if attempting to break a hold avoid big movements.
▪
And before she could break the hold , the king's remark turned all attention on her again.
▪
Graham broke the hold and swivelled Samir round as Al-Makesh fired.
catch
▪
Taking her completely by surprise, he caught hold of her arm and pulled her towards him.
▪
Bowman caught hold of the short lever fastened to the valve and with his last strength pulled it down.
▪
It caught hold of a chair and, with a great deal of grunting, managed to tip it over.
▪
On March 4 she caught hold of the end of her buggy and twice pulled herself to her feet.
▪
She wanted desperately to catch hold of his arm, to stop him walking out of her life.
▪
He fainted from pain but caught hold of the iron railing of a house and remained erect.
▪
He went down trying to catch hold of the breath he'd just lost.
get
▪
All I'd been told was to get hold of her and scare her, get Gerald rattled, you know.
▪
She wanted to know how she could get hold of that poem, and maybe that whole book.
▪
Pieper tried and failed to get hold of the outfits to brief them and to gauge their reaction.
▪
How had he got hold of that name?
▪
He'd like to get hold of a gun and blow them all away.
▪
Police are concerned that the poison may be dumped and children may get hold of it.
▪
Then you put a good big handle on it, so that everyone can get hold of it and pick it up.
grab
▪
It is remarkable, Hardin, how the religion of science has grabbed hold .
▪
She grabbed hold of it and peered down the microscope again.
▪
He grabbed hold of the chainlink fence that surrounded the empty schoolyard.
▪
They grab hold of the killer's flesh, clamp tight and then cast off the claw.
▪
Life began when energy grabbed hold of some dust and would not let it go.
▪
But Daine was smart enough to grab hold of you.
▪
A couple of lads grab hold of the Monkey and stuff a rag in his mouth.
keep
▪
I kept good hold of her, part-dragging her after me.
▪
It is the parallel and barefaced cheek of their methods to keep hold of political office that really takes the breath away.
▪
She would be keeping a tight hold on her feelings from now on.
▪
This, I thought, was how South Vermont kept hold of its errant children.
▪
If only you had kept hold of McGovern and O'Hare, you won't find players like them in a hurry.
▪
The economists at Goldman Sachs believe that rates will be kept on hold for all of next year.
▪
Then you could catch your knave speedily and keep hold of him.
▪
Instead, she had kept hold of herself, saving face.
loosen
▪
Culley waited for the spasm to pass, and loosened his hold a fraction.
▪
It was on a block where he encountered three soldiers that he began to loosen his hold on the sequence.
▪
It will be intriguing to see how Brecht's play stands up at a time when Communism is loosening its ideological hold .
lose
▪
There was a quietness about her that Mary had seen before when people were losing their hold on life.
▪
But old habits are losing their hold on me.
▪
It has also warned that some customers could be faced with paying more if it lost its hold on the household market.
▪
Behind her head the television lost its vertical hold and the picture scrolled slowly upward.
▪
Religion lost its hold on the social imagination when it was seen to embody qualities opposed to science: irrationality and superstition.
▪
He feels the rum starting to lose its hold .
▪
Any cuckoo nestling that lost its hold , even momentarily, over its host would have died as a result.
▪
Primo could feel his fingers losing hold of the on / off switch of his intake valve.
maintain
▪
Styled by Scissors Gel maintains its strong hold on styling as one of the essential hair products for men.
▪
Chapter books require that we and our children maintain our hold on the story line over the duration of the reading period.
▪
To gain and maintain his hold over the Company Sulivan had to become a formidable politician and he inevitably made many enemies.
▪
It should not be imagined that the tiny Party élite at either of these provincial levels could maintain a tight hold .
place
▪
According to some commentators the peace process would effectively be placed on hold at least until January 1993 when Clinton took office.
▪
The soft drink deal was placed on hold last year after the Postal Service Board of Governors learned of the federal investigation.
▪
But he shows no bitterness that his life was placed on hold for 12 months while he made a full recovery.
▪
Instead, his life was placed on hold .
▪
It was placed on hold because of the court action.
put
▪
It gave her a chance to put everything on hold for a brief while, recharge the batteries after a flight.
▪
Misgivings about the impact of the bomb could be put on hold .
▪
She also had been able to put her feelings on hold as she concentrated on the problems facing her.
▪
Cold temperatures do not kill bacteria, they just put them on hold .
▪
These projects have been put on hold indefinitely.
▪
Her own plans had to be put on hold .
▪
All that was put on hold on March 20, 1990.
▪
If the justices rule for Clinton, the lawsuit will be put on hold for four more years.
release
▪
It was a long time before Guy released his fierce hold on her, and reluctantly thrust her away from him.
▪
She exacted a public promise from Chaffee that he would release his hold on the bill.
▪
Tamar would have been happy to finish the association, but Davis would not release his hold on her.
▪
Before dispatching the rabbit it is necessary to induce the ferret to release its hold .
▪
It opens its mouth to scream and releases its hold .
retain
▪
He retained his hold on her wrist but made no move to pull her to her feet.
seize
▪
She seized hold of the door handle and tried to open it.
▪
One of the snakes had seized hold of its own tail and the form whirled mockingly before my eyes.
▪
Alison had seized hold of Franca's long plait of dark hair and drawn it out from behind the chair.
take
▪
An anti-doctor religion apparently took hold here in the 1920s.
▪
Her imagination took hold of the idea and terrorized her at the thought of the hospital catching fire.
▪
Then with an energy which he had not yet displayed he took hold of Patrick.
▪
We funded those actions out of our many savings elsewhere, as our family of quality programs took hold .
▪
Whatever affects us deeply will also take hold of our souls.
▪
The wine Adrienne had kept passing to her was taking hold of an empty stomach.
▪
As the wine took hold I glanced in her direction with increasing frequency, often to find her already looking at me.
▪
Grief took hold of Achilles, so black that those around him feared for his life.
tighten
▪
The suspended despair inside her splintered into a shuddering sob and Fernando tightened his hold on her.
▪
But the king merely tightened his hold , as if all this energy had sweated drunkenness out of him.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a firm grip/hold/grasp etc
▪
As darkness gains a firmer grip the songbirds fade and the owls start.
▪
As soon as one does so, its lips close around it, giving it a firm hold.
▪
But at current levels the shares are a firm hold.
▪
Choose a firm hold variant which will keep your style in place during winder weather and light drizzle.
▪
Clumps of sturdy weed grew wherever they could take a firm hold.
▪
I keep a firm grip on my hat and stare into the blustery abyss.
▪
It's safe but you need to have a firm grip to cut a 13-amp flex.
▪
Usually this happens because the task is too broadly stated to get a firm grasp on it.
a tight hold/grip
▪
The new business manager has a tight hold on the budget.
▪
Apple, however, kept a tight grip on its technology and suffered the consequences.
▪
Dominic crept carefully down the stairs, keeping a tight hold on the gleaming mahogany banister.
▪
He had a tight hold on the audience, totally in command of his band.
▪
It should not be imagined that the tiny Party élite at either of these provincial levels could maintain a tight hold.
▪
She would be keeping a tight hold on her feelings from now on.
▪
The best way for the government to achieve this is to keep a tight grip on the tigerish tendencies of the economy.
▪
The purge reflects the party leadership's concern with keeping a tight hold on the political reins.
▪
We got up, he pushed me roughly towards the door, keeping a tight hold of me.
be stuck/held fast
▪
A character who is held fast can not move or fight, and is treated as prone.
▪
Balor was struggling and writhing, but his limbs were held fast and only his thick, shapeless body could move.
▪
Persephone sprang into her arms and was held fast there.
▪
She tried to pull her hand free, but it was held fast .
▪
She tried to struggle, but she was held fast .
cop hold of sth
don't hold your breath
▪
If you're waiting for the Cubs to win the series, don't hold your breath .
extend/offer/hold out etc an olive branch (to sb)
get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick
have a sure hold/footing
have/hold sth in your hot little hand
have/hold/want no truck with sb/sth
▪
But it does lead inevitably to ignorance, for you can not understand what you deliberately chose to have no truck with.
▪
Its radicals, who dominate the leadership, want no truck with Mr Gorbachev.
▪
Then the people who get penalised are the majority who want no truck with him.
▪
We in the Conservative Party have no truck with that style of gutter journalism which we were forced to endure last Sunday.
hold court
▪
The days when he held court at the hotel's supper club seem far away now.
▪
Artists who have arrived at that position are expected to sit still and hold court .
▪
Baseball raconteur Bill Rigney is holding court at a window table.
▪
For hour after hour, without a break, clearly relishing the attention, Kevorkian holds court .
▪
I am holding court , lady of the mansion.
▪
Instead, he could hold court for his many buyers in his studio garage.
▪
Ken Bradshaw was holding court among a handful of Waimea veterans.
▪
Somewhere in the smoky crowd the authoress and photographer, Jill Freedman from New York, was holding court .
hold sth at arm's length
hold sth dear
▪
Everything I held dear was destroyed in the war.
hold up your head
▪
He had held up his head in the most exalted company.
▪
How does he hold up his head if he knows his wife is deceiving him?
hold/hang on for/like grim death
hold/have sb in the palm of your hand
▪
She's got the whole committee in the palm of her hand.
hold/keep your end up
▪
It helped them keep their end up in battle, too, claim historians.
▪
It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their end up at this level of competition.
▪
Richter kept his end up by arranging a press visit to Huemul Island on 21 June, 1951.
hold/keep your peace
▪
And since the credit accrued to him, he held his peace .
▪
But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace .
▪
But she held her peace and waited for the miracle.
▪
Colonel Fergusson nodded indulgently at such pertness and obstinacy, but held his peace .
▪
Gorbachev, like any husband in his circumstances, kept his peace .
▪
No, better to hold her peace and pretend.
▪
So I decide to hold my peace for a little while longer.
▪
Why did he want to hold his peace ?
hold/stand your ground
▪
As his father approached, Richard retreated steadily, never once daring to stand his ground against him.
▪
I calculate, I stand my ground .
▪
Not enough to start a war; just enough to let me stand my ground without having to think about it first.
▪
Richmann stood his ground , certain he would be able to jump out of the. way if things went wrong.
▪
The guide, however, stood his ground , frantically giving me unrecognizable signs.
▪
The Housing Executive stood its ground and refused to transfer money earmarked for other projects.
▪
Williams' job was to hold his ground or drop into pass coverage.
▪
You know when to stand your ground and when to give in.
keep/hold sb/sth in check
▪
The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check .
▪
The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.
▪
A small bag of zeolite was used for three days, every two weeks to keep ammonia in check .
▪
But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check .
▪
Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.
▪
His own temper rose, but he held it in check .
▪
In one important area the Navy held its ambitions in check for bargaining reasons within the Whitehall market-place.
▪
Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check .
▪
What is new is that the controls which held this population in check no longer exist.
keep/hold sth at bay
▪
Sandbags kept the floodwaters at bay .
▪
The government hopes to keep inflation at bay .
▪
All in all, the eatery is a breakfast bargain, with enough different components to keep boredom at bay .
▪
Another technique for keeping performance anxiety at bay is the group sing-along.
▪
Brown has kept the tumult at bay .
▪
Concentrating on Emma would help to keep her worries at bay for a little while.
▪
He was gritting his teeth against the pain, keeping it at bay while he studied the stump, the severed hand.
▪
My voice holds them at bay .
▪
She holds the adventurers at bay by holding the scroll over a candle flame and threatening to destroy it.
▪
Two green glazed lions guarded the gates to keep evil spirits at bay .
leave go/hold of sth
▪
Sometimes the girl did not leave hold of her swing, and the act failed.
loosen your grip/hold
▪
He made a choking noise, and Marco loosened his grip fractionally.
▪
I felt a shock charge through my hand and could not loosen my grip.
▪
Instead, he waited until the first fierce flood of tears had passed, then loosened his grip on her a little.
▪
It was on a block where he encountered three soldiers that he began to loosen his hold on the sequence.
▪
Richard first noticed me from across the street as he loosened his grip on the lamppost.
▪
The woman jabbed her cigarette into the man's face and he loosened his grip.
▪
When I loosened my grip on him he tried to run back toward Clarisa, stumbling and crawling.
▪
When there is none, he loosens his grip and turns away.
relax your hold/grip
▪
But attitudes of this kind took time to gain the upper hand: the past relaxed its grip only slowly.
▪
He relaxed his grip on the mug, rolled his sleeves down, pushed his chair back.
▪
Never for one moment does this shimmering, simmering emotional desert storm of a film relax its grip on your senses.
▪
The pilots cautiously relaxed their grip and let their muscles slacken.
▪
Then with excruciating slowness he relaxed his hold, allowing her to back away a pace.
▪
Weeping with merriment, gleeful through and through, she never relaxed her grip.
▪
When he tries to say something I relax my grip.
stand/hold firm
▪
Although momentarily tempted by the seductively rich chocolate dessert Sabrina's willpower held firm and she gave it to Graham.
▪
Another went to a selectman for standing firm .
▪
But de Gaulle held firm because he knew that time was working in his favour.
▪
C., held firm , since the federal government kept hiring more and more bureaucrats.
▪
He stands firm on his convictions.
▪
Last week the closely held firm announced it had sold $ 17. 25 million worth of limited partnership interests.
▪
Mr Scargill urged the miners to prepare for battle: they must stand firm over their wage claim.
▪
They need to describe initially what issues they want to stand firm on and what issues they can give way to.
tighten your grip/hold on sth
▪
He tightened his grip on the sub-machine-gun, waited for the helicopter to slow and swing towards him.
▪
His arm shook and he tightened his grip on the stock of the rifle to still it.
▪
However, planning permission is required, and legislation is tightening its grip on mast sites.
▪
It was only when they tensed, curling and tightening their grip on the floor, did he realise they were alive.
▪
Oats tightened his grip on the axe.
▪
The suspended despair inside her splintered into a shuddering sob and Fernando tightened his hold on her.
▪
There were months of interrogations, torture and repression as the military tightened its grip on the country.
▪
They tightened their grip on the girl.
wait a minute/just a minute/hold on a minute/hang on a minute
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
I tightened my hold on the child as we crossed the busy road.
▪
In this form of wrestling there are a number of different holds, each used in a different situation.
▪
Kara tightened her hold on the bat.
▪
My mother relaxed, and loosened her hold on my hand.
▪
Prevost asked me if I still had hold of my camera.
▪
The cliff is steep and it's difficult to find a hold .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Analysts say the company has a potential to become extremely profitable if the technology takes hold .
▪
And I think I just might try to get hold of Mark.
▪
Bowman caught hold of the short lever fastened to the valve and with his last strength pulled it down.
▪
But when you get hold of the document and look at the detail you're in for a nasty surprise.
▪
Here was a gravity you could argue with; here was a horizon close enough to reach out and grasp hold of.
▪
It was a bit late for that, since the press had got hold of the story anyway.
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The wine Adrienne had kept passing to her was taking hold of an empty stomach.