to hold water
12
4.9
- phrasal verb
- /hoʊld ˈwɔːtər/
:
resistir el escrutinio
- The criticisms, though understandable from a particular point of view, don't hold water when the whole picture becomes clear.
So again, this slide does not hold water and it needs to die.
- So again, this slide does not hold water and it needs to die.
- I'm not sure that it would hold water though, if we sent this through customs anywhere.
- So this idea that they can't help it, it just doesn't hold water.
- So there's a through the scientific process, you've shown that this idea does not hold water.
- But in fact, you know, that's that doesn't necessarily hold water.
- Well, that's probably not that, that that does not hold water.
Examples
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I'm not sure that it would hold water though, if we sent this through customs anywhere.
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So again, this slide does not hold water and it needs to die.
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I'll have my boys check this out, and if what you say holds water... heads are gonna roll.
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I know this is a pipe dream, but I think it holds water in theory.
Blog text (34) -
Sorry guys, this entire theory doesn't hold water at all.
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So your argument does not hold water in the slightest.
Blog text (19) -
- Second, your alibi won't hold water.
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But their excuses didn't hold water then, and certainly don't hold water now.
Academic text (2010) -
It makes you realise that the "crummy-childhood" theory, that everything can be blamed in a Freudian fashion on a bad upbringing, just doesn't hold water.
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His explanation about why he missed the meeting simply doesn't hold water under scrutiny.
Synonyms
222
3.0
To continue to be correct when people check it
163
3.7
To remain strong or effective under pressure
42
7.2
To be accepted as true or good by other people
25
3.9
To seem likely from the facts
7
6.5
To have a good reason or proof to support your claim
1
5.3
To still be correct when people look at it carefully
How Credible
Surface Forms
Morphology
hold + water
The sense 'to be logical or withstand scrutiny' is a metaphorical extension of the literal idea of a container that can 'hold water' (i.e. not leak), so there is a visible link to the constituents. However, mapping that physical containment to argumentative soundness is not automatically predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Hold water may come from the simple image of a bucket that must hold water without leaking. If the bucket leaks it fails, so when an idea or explanation 'holds water' it means 'to be logical and believable'.