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hold it together

B2 informal inseparable transitive
In simple words

To stop things — or yourself — from falling apart when everything is hard or going wrong.

Literal meaning: To prevent something from falling apart — the metaphor of holding broken pieces together is the source.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To maintain emotional composure and function normally despite being under extreme stress or pressure.

"She somehow held it together through the funeral and only broke down when she got home."

"I tried to hold it together, but grief has its own timetable."

— Widely attested sentiment; similar phrasing appears in Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking (2005)
Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To keep a group, organization, or system functioning and unified when it is at risk of breaking apart.

"Only her leadership was holding the fractured coalition together."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

A fixed colloquial phrase. 'It' can refer to a situation, a group, a relationship, or (informally) oneself. Very common in speech and in media. Often used in questions ('How are you holding it together?') and in encouragement ('Just hold it together a little longer').

Commonly used with

situation team family relationship organization composure

Forms

Base
hold it together
I/you/we/they
3rd person
holds it together
he/she/it
Past simple
held it together
yesterday
Past participle
held it together
have + pp
-ing form
holding it together
continuous

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