hold down
To keep something from moving up, to keep a job successfully, or to stop prices or noise from going up.
Meanings
To physically keep someone or something in place by pressing down on it.
"It took three officers to hold the suspect down."
To manage to keep a job, especially when it requires effort or is difficult to maintain.
"He's never been able to hold down a steady job for more than three months."
To prevent prices, costs, noise, or another quantity from rising.
"The government introduced subsidies to hold down food prices during the crisis."
The 'keep a job' sense is very common in informal speech: 'Can he hold down a job?' The physical sense is transparent. The 'suppress' sense (hold down prices, costs, inflation) is common in business and economic writing.
Commonly used with
Forms
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