HOLDING DOWN Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

holding down

verb

present participle of hold down

as in limiting

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

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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 holding down Which is why on September 17, 2026, Deadline wants to celebrate the lawyers — especially the ones holding down the Hollywood fort. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 The switch was so successful in holding down costs that Montana dipped into the health plan’s reserves in 2017 to help cover a particularly bad forest fire season. — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 Motion opened the gallery in Kings Cross in a disused betting parlor next door to a kebab shop in 2016 while also holding down a day job. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Getty Images The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Wednesday a program that has been holding down the cost of prescription drug coverage for roughly 25 million Americans will end after this year. — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Carefully lift main bone from fish to remove, holding down bottom fillets with your other hand as needed. — Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 July 2026 Beckham mostly lets actor Josh Lucas do the talking, which makes sense given the fact that Lucas has been holding down the brand’s voiceover duties since 2013. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026 Anchoring the reeds and holding down the baritone sax chair defined with soulful panache by Harry Carney for nearly five decades is Kamrin Ortiz. — Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 The billionaire said that choosing to go in or not could mean the difference between simply holding down a job and building a career. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding down

Verb

Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, getting plenty of sleep and eating a protein-rich diet will also keep your skin healthy.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Limiting offenses without also limiting defenses might allow the United States, in a crisis, to attempt a surprise attack on Russia or China and then rely on its powerful defenses to neutralize any surviving forces.

— Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

In response to such concerns, some states are restricting screen time.

— Linda Jacobson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The California Department of Industrial Relations has tapped the state’s workers’ compensation fund to pay for internal investigations of its employees, a practice critics say violates state law restricting how that money can be spent.

— Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of restricting

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holding back

holding down

holding forth

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“Holding down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20down. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of holding down

verb

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