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Glite Dictionary
to hold down the fort

to hold down the fort

19 4.5
Take care of a place or job while someone is away
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : encargarse de
  • While she's away on vacation, I will hold down the fort at the office.
  • hold down the fort here
  • stay here and hold down the fort
  • Thanks for holding down the fort

I had a show in Atlanta and my wife was kind of holding down the Fort here.

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Examples

  • Guys, hold down the fort.

    Unforgettable (2017)

  • "Listen," she whispered, "you run home to Mitford and I'll hold down the fort, OK?"

    Fiction book (1999)

  • If you just hold down the fort here and remain calm.

    The Ice Harvest (2005)

  • Bob, hold down the fort.

    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

  • You hold down the fort at church.

    Tapestry (2019)

  • You think you could manage to hold down the fort on your own for a few minutes?

    Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

  • You hold down the fort.

    Nadine (1987)

  • Somebody's got to hold down the fort.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • But it was too dark to film, so we called it a day and headed back to a very quiet camp, where my students were holding down the fort.

    Blog text (14)

  • So I'm going to need Gail down here to help hold down the fort.

    Grizzly (1976)

Synonyms

to cover
vsto hold down the fort
362 3.1

To take someone's place and do their work for a short time

is about caring for a situation during someone's absence, not only temporary replacement
to step up to the plate
vsto hold down the fort
  • Informal
32 4.6

To take responsibility and act when a difficult situation happens

focuses on caring for things during someone's absence rather than acting in a crisis
to man the fort
vsto hold down the fort
  • Informal
6.9

To look after a place or job while others are away

is about being responsible or caring for a situation in another's absence

Antonyms

to abandon
773 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

to neglect
256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Responsible

to manage
643 2.7
to hold down the fort
  • Informal
19 4.5
to look after
472 1.1
to keep an eye on
  • Informal
408 2.4

Surface Forms

hold down the fort infinitive
held down the fort past
held down the fort past participle
holding down the fort present participle
holds down the fort third person singular

Morphology

hold + down + the + fort

The verb 'hold' (to keep or maintain) plus 'fort' (a defended place) gives a plausible idea of keeping things secure, so a learner who knows the words can partially guess the sense. However the particle 'down' and the extension to 'managing responsibilities in someone's absence' are metaphorical and not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partly transparent.

Etymology

The phrase hold down the fort comes from old army life. One popular story says soldiers left behind had to hold down the fort, that is, stay and guard it while others were away, so today it means 'to be responsible for something' or 'take care of a situation' in someone's absence.