hold onto

/hoʊld ɒnˈtuː/◆phrasal verb

keep possession of

She told me to hold onto my receipt for the warranty.

She advised me to keep the receipt to claim the warranty later.

informal

To keep possession of something; to not let go of something physically or metaphorically.

He held onto his childhood memories tightly.

He cherished his childhood memories and didn't let them fade.

The company decided to hold onto its shares despite the market downturn.

The company chose to retain its shares even when the market was declining.

Can be used both literally (physical objects) and metaphorically (ideas, emotions, or abstract concepts).

Collocations

hold onto somethingkeep possession of an object or ideahold onto hopemaintain optimism or belief in something

to wait or pause

to restrain oneself

Use 'hold onto' for both physical objects (e.g., a book) and abstract concepts (e.g., hope or a memory).

This phrase is widely used in everyday language to express the idea of keeping something, whether tangible or intangible.

Derived from the combination of the verb 'hold' and the preposition 'onto', emphasizing the action of keeping something in one's grasp.

Often used in both literal and figurative contexts. In informal speech, it can also imply emotional attachment or persistence.

hold

to grasp or keep in one's possession

root

onto

indicates direction or attachment

preposition

English Dictionary