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Glite Dictionary
🕵️ To use as threat ⏳ To postpone
to hold over

to hold over

3 7.2
To threaten someone with secret information to make them obey
  • phrasal verb
  • /hoʊld ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : chantajear
  • He likes to hold over my past mistakes to make me feel guilty.
  • holds sway over
  • holds power over
  • holds influence over

Right, so this is a way to hold power over the now ascendant pattern.

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Examples

  • To him, ADAM is just a threat to the terror he holds over others.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The House Republicans could not prosper without the blessings of Trump because of his his hold over the base.

  • Right, so this is a way to hold power over the now ascendant pattern.

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • She's the only thing he knows I care about most in this world, and he holds her over my head.

    Blog text (21)

  • Who within the confines of the sports complex had the power to hold that over people's heads?

    Blog text (25)

  • In the information and communication field, the Non-Aligned Nations and other developing countries are adversely affected by the monopoly which the developed nations hold over the world's communications systems.

    Academic text (1993)

  • She was always careful not to hold over the information about his job loss against him.

  • The boss would often hold over the threat of layoffs to ensure the team met their deadlines.

Synonyms

to coerce
vsto hold over
  • Offensive
91 6.4

Force someone to do something by threats

focuses more on using information or threats to intimidate than pure force
to strong-arm
vsto hold over
  • NSFW
15 7.5

To force someone to do something by threats or violence

relies more on implied threats or information than on physical force
to hold the cards
vsto hold over
  • Informal
8 6.1

To have control or an advantage in a situation

involves actively using threats or information to intimidate rather than passive advantage
to hold over one's head
vsto hold over
3 7.7

To keep reminding someone of a past mistake to control them

is about using threats or facts generally rather than constant reminders
to have someone by the balls
vsto hold over
  • Offensive
3 9.9

To have complete power over someone by controlling what they need or fear

is similar but focuses on threats or information rather than essentials
to overawe
vsto hold over
  • Formal
1 8.2

To make someone feel small or afraid by showing great power

uses explicit threats or factual leverage to gain power rather than awe
to hold over someone's head
vsto hold over
8.1

To threaten someone with a past mistake to control them

is broader, applies to any threat or information not only secrets

Antonyms

to empower
157 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

to liberate
104 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

How Coercive

to blackmail
139 5.6
to threaten
987 3.3
to hold over
3 7.2
to leverage
114 5.4
to warn
∞ 1.0
to hint
136 2.0

Surface Forms

hold over infinitive
holding over present participle
holds over third person singular
held over past
held over past participle

Morphology

hold + over

The literal meanings of 'hold' (to grasp/keep) and 'over' (above or against) provide a metaphorical image of keeping something over someone, so learners can partly infer a sense of control or leverage. However, the specific pragmatic meaning 'to use a threat or information to intimidate' is an extended, idiomatic use that typically requires exposure to be fully understood, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Hold over comes from the image of hold and over: holding a secret above someone's head like a weight so the person is afraid it will fall. So it means 'to threaten' or 'to have power over' someone by using that information.