hold on to
hold on to {v. phr.}
1a. or hold to
To continue to hold or keep; hold tightly.
When Jane played horse with her father, she held on to him tightly.
The teacher said that if we believed something was true and good we should hold on to it.
The old man held on to his job stubbornly and would not retire.
1b. To stay in control of.
Ann was so frightened that she had to hold on to herself not to scream.
Contrast: LET GO.
2. To continue to sing or sound.
The singer held on to the last note of the song for a long time.
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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms
