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Dictionary.com

hang onto

VERB
cling
Synonyms
STRONGEST
adhere clasp fasten
STRONG
cherish clutch cohere continue embrace endure grasp grip hug last linger squeeze stick
WEAK
be true to cleave to freeze to hang in hold fast stay put stick like glue
Antonyms
STRONGEST
loose loosen unfasten
STRONG
discontinue halt let go release stop
WEAK
detach
VERB
seize
Synonyms
STRONGEST
catch snatch
STRONG
appropriate clasp clench clinch clutch compass embrace enclose enfold fasten grapple grasp grip pinch pluck snag squeeze
WEAK
catch hold of lay hands on lay hold of take hold of
Antonyms
STRONG
free give let go loose loosen reject release unfasten
WEAK
liberate offer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, these men prefer to hang onto it rather than accept the troubling possibility that women are just people — and most are easy to get along with if you treat them like equals.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Chances are, if you hang onto it long enough, you’ll make your money back, with perhaps a little extra.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

But in a game that featured 24 lead changes the Rockets couldn't hang onto the 13-point lead they took into the final quarter.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

“I guess what I’m saying is hang onto your Tesla stock,” he added later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Now he was holding himself upright only with his mouth, and he had to hang onto the key or then press it down again with the whole weight of his body, as necessary.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka