held down

verb

past tense of hold down
as in limited
to set bounds or an upper limit for efforts to hold down taxes keep running up against the legislature's ingrained unwillingness to cut spending

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of held down Video from the hallway shows Miller being held down and in handcuffs, repeatedly asking why he is being arrested. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Zisman gave up the sideman hustle years ago but has kept a foot in the scene by accompanying vocalist Kim Nalley, a chair he’s held down for decades. — Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 This is the first year a conference has held down the top two spots in the preseason poll since Oklahoma and Nebraska of the Big Eight were 1-2 in 1987. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 While House of the Dragon held down the fort in drama, HBO also found comedic success with Larry David‘s Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 Campbell has held down the fort at left tackle throughout OTAs, minicamp and the first two days of training camp even after the Patriots selected offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 26 July 2026 Residents of a smallish town outside of the capital Sofia, Gosha and Marina are a childless couple who have held down low-key lucrative positions for some time. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 In the background of the photograph are canvas tents, ripped in spots, patchworked together, held down by metal stakes and small boulders. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 Collin is finally sharing the truth about being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years, and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy. — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held down
  1. limited
  2. restricted
Verb
  • At his death, Snellings’ belongings were limited to a bicycle and a couple of totes.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Now the rotating cast of 100 or so attendees is limited to current and former central bankers, government officials, and top economists (plus a dozen-ish reporters).
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of limited
Verb
  • The prosecutor general’s office has stopped updating crime data; the Treasury has ceased publishing detailed budget information; and the central bank has restricted disclosure of international reserves.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The GaN-on-silicon structure used by the team restricted the maximum breakdown voltage, meaning different substrates could potentially allow the devices to go even higher.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of restricted

Browse Nearby Words

held back
held down
held forth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Held down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20down. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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