Separable Object can go in the middle or after: "hold it back" or "hold back the news"
Inseparable Object always goes after the particle — never in the middle.
Intransitive No object needed — the verb stands alone.
hold onIntransitive
To wait; to grip something tightly; to persevere through difficulty.
"Hold on — I'll be with you in one minute." / "Hold on to the railing — it's steep."
hold upSeparable
To delay someone or something; to rob; to support or lift; to manage under pressure ("How are you holding up?").
"Traffic held me up for an hour." / "How are you holding up under all this stress?"
hold backSeparable
To restrain yourself or someone else; to withhold information or emotions.
"She held back her tears until she was alone." / "Don't hold back — tell me the truth."
hold outIntransitive
To last or survive difficult conditions; to resist; to extend a hand or offer something.
"The supplies held out for three weeks." / "He held out his hand to welcome her."
hold offSeparable
To delay doing something; to keep something or someone away.
"Can we hold off on the decision until Monday?" / "She held off the criticism with calm answers."
hold togetherIntransitive
To stay united; to keep something or someone from falling apart.
"It was Carmen who held the family together during the difficult months."
hold downSeparable
To maintain a job; to keep something at a low level; to pin something down physically.
"She held down two jobs for an entire year." / "Hold down the costs as much as possible."
hold inSeparable
To suppress an emotion; to stop yourself from expressing what you feel.
"He held in his anger and responded calmly." / "She couldn't hold in her laughter."
hold againstInseparable
To blame or resent someone for something from the past; to let a past action affect your current opinion.
"I don't hold it against you — you were doing your best at the time."
hold overSeparable
To postpone to a later time; to extend an event or show beyond its scheduled end.
"The meeting was held over until next week." / "The concert was held over for a second night."
📖 The Solís Family
When the Solís family faced their most difficult year, it was Carmen who held everything together.
Her husband Eduardo had been held up at work for weeks — delayed by a project that kept expanding — while the family waited anxiously at home. "Hold on," Carmen would tell the children when they asked when their father would be home. "He's doing his best."
Carmen held back her own worry, especially in front of the youngest children. She held in the stress she felt every evening, choosing instead to focus on small daily victories. She held down two jobs that year — a morning shift at a bakery and an afternoon shift cleaning offices — and somehow made it all work.
Eduardo's brother Miguel offered to help. He held out money for three months without asking for anything in return. He told Eduardo: "I don't hold any of this against you. Families help each other." The bank agreed to hold off on the loan payments for ninety days, giving the family the breathing room they needed.
The school talent show — which Sofía had been rehearsing for — was held over until the following month due to a scheduling conflict. It was one more small disappointment in a hard year. But eventually, things improved. Looking back, Carmen says: "We didn't fall apart because we held together. That's all it takes."
