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Prepositions after hold

Hold in, at, by, on, or for?

Different prepositions after hold express control, support, waiting, or location.

Quick answer

Common combinations with hold

Use hold in for controlling emotions or movement, hold by for supporting something, hold on for waiting or keeping tightly, and hold for for reserving or delaying. At usually introduces a place or time expression rather than a fixed combination.

She could not hold in her laughter.
Please hold on for a moment.
The room is held for private events.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
hold in + emotion/movement

Controlling something

Use hold in when preventing emotions, words, or movement from being expressed.

He struggled to hold in his anger.
2
hold by + part

Supporting or grasping

Use hold by to describe the part used for support or carrying.

Carry the box by the handles.
She held him by the arm.
3
hold on + object/time

Keeping or waiting

Hold on can mean keep tightly or wait briefly.

Please hold on while I check.
He held on to the rope.
4
hold for + purpose/person

Reserving or delaying

Use hold for when keeping something available or delaying action.

We will hold the package for you.
The judge held the case for review.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
hold in
She held in her tears.
Control emotions or reactions.
hold at
Sales held steady at 5,000 units.
At usually introduces a level, place, or time expression, not a fixed verb-preposition pair.
hold by
He held the child by the hand.
Grasping or supporting through a body part or handle.
hold on
Hold on for a minute.
Wait or keep a strong grip.
hold for
The hotel will hold the room for late arrivals.
Reserve or keep available.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using hold on with a direct object incorrectly

Use hold on to before the thing you keep tightly.

✕ Hold on the rail. ✓ Hold on to the rail.

Confusing hold in and keep in

Hold in is mainly used for emotions or reactions.

✕ Hold in the books on the shelf. ✓ Keep the books on the shelf.

Treating at as a fixed partner of hold

At often belongs to a following measurement or location phrase.

✕ We held at the meeting. ✓ We held the meeting at noon.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She tried to hold ___ her excitement.
2. Please hold ___ while I transfer your call.
3. The seats will be held ___ VIP guests.

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Frequently asked questions

What does hold on mean?

It commonly means wait or keep a firm grip on something.

Is hold at correct English?

Yes, but at usually introduces a separate phrase such as a level, place, or time.

Can hold by describe physical support?

Yes. You can say hold someone by the hand or carry a bag by the handle.

hack-into-by-at-to, in "haggle with" or "haggle for"? "hail from" or "hail as"? hamper by, due, in, for or throughout? "handle by" or "handle in"? hang in, from, over, around or onto? "happen to" or "happen in"? harass by, in, at, for or with? "harm by" or "harm to"? harvest from, in, for, at or by? hasten to, by, from, after or into? hate on, for, by, about or in?

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