1. To physically grip something. Hold onto the railing so that you don't lose your balance. 2. To wait or pause. Often used as an imperative. Hey, hold on—that's not what I'm saying at all. If you'll just hold on a minute, I'll pull up your file. 3. To continue or persist despite challenges. Definition of hold on to. 1. as in have. to keep in one's mind or heart She still holds on to that feeling. Synonyms & Similar Words. Relevance. have. hold. retain. harbor. cherish. hang on to. entertain. nurse. keep. bear. cultivate. maintain. remember. carry. stick (to) cling (to) sustain. foster. support. preserve. hug. treasure. cleave (to) From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English hold on to somebody/something phrasal verb to keep something rather than losing it, selling it, or giving it to someone else The soldiers held on to the bridge for three more days. Rule 1: In general, use onto as one word to mean "on top of," "to a position on," "upon." Examples: He climbed onto the roof. Let's step onto the dance floor. Rule 2: Use onto when you mean "fully aware of," "informed about." Examples: I'm onto your scheme. We canceled Julia's surprise party when we realized she was onto our plan. to keep something for somebody else or for longer than usual. I'll hold on to your mail for you until you get back. See hold on to in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Definition of hold-on-to phrasal verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. There is no difference in understanding when it comes to "hold on to" versus "held on to.". Since both "hold on" and "held on" are each verb phrases, the correct answer here is "on to" as well. The only difference is that "held" is past tense and "hold" is present tense. yOb7YR.

hold on onto meaning