hold somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb ( see also ↑ hold )
1 . to make someone or something stay on something, and stop them from moving away or escaping:
We had to hold the tent down with rocks to stop it blowing away.
It took three strong men to hold him down.
2 . to prevent the level of something such as prices from rising:
We will aim to hold down prices.
3 . hold down a job to succeed in keeping a job for a period of time:
He’s never held down a job for longer than a few weeks.
4 . to keep people under control or limit their freedom:
The people were held down for centuries by their conquerors.