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Glite Dictionary
to hold it together

to hold it together

61 5.6
Stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : mantener la calma
  • She held it together for so long, I couldn't even tell how sick she was.

Somehow I held it together and waited until we left.

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Examples

  • During the meeting, she was nervous but managed to hold it together and present her ideas clearly.

  • I'm just, you know, trying to hold it together for Kevin.

    Stream (2024)

  • You just need to... hold it together, okay?

    Knox Goes Away (2024)

  • I need you to hold it together.

    Jeepers Creepers (2001)

  • You gotta hold it together.

    A Warrior's Heart (2011)

  • - What I need is, I just need you to hold it together for me, okay?

    War of the Worlds (2005)

  • I think it's the only way I can hold myself together, keep my mind from going out of control.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • When the announcement first came out, everyone held it together pretty well.

    The Last Earth Girl (2020)

  • Come on, just hold it together 'til the next town.

    Hell Riders (1984)

  • Kay managed, somehow, to hold things together when they constantly threatened to break apart.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

to stay in control
vsto hold it together
  • US
264 3.7

Keep power over a situation and stay calm

is similar but focuses more on authority over events than inner calm
to pull oneself together
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
81 5.1

Get control of your feelings and calm down after being upset

describes continuous calm control rather than recovering from strong upset
to get a grip
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
56 5.6

To calm down and control your feelings

is about steady self control, not only recovering after losing it
to keep one's cool
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
30 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

is similar but focuses on general self control rather than phrasing
to keep it together
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
27 5.4

To stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

is the same idea but uses a different verb form
to play it cool
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
27 4.5

Act calm and relaxed to hide nervousness

is similar but is sincere calm rather than a controlled performance
to keep a cool head
vsto hold it together
3 3.9

Stay calm and not get angry or excited in a difficult situation

is broader, focusing on overall self control rather than only calmness
to keep one's temper
vsto hold it together
1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

is broader, covering all self control not only resisting anger
to hold one's nerve
vsto hold it together
  • Informal
5.5

To stay calm and in control during a difficult situation

is like this but emphasizes sustained self control in tough situations
to keep one's head
vsto hold it together
4.6

Stay calm and think clearly in a difficult or dangerous situation

is similar but adds the idea of maintaining self control under stress

Antonyms

to lose it
  • Informal
289 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

to break down
111 3.9

To lose control of your feelings and cry or collapse

How Composed

to keep one's cool
  • Informal
30 3.4
to hold it together
  • Informal
61 5.6
to lose it
  • Informal
289 7.5
to break down
111 3.9

Surface Forms

hold it together infinitive
holding it together present participle
holds it together third person singular
held it together past
held it together past participle

Morphology

hold + it + together

The meaning 'to remain calm and maintain self-control' is directly derivable from combining 'hold' (to keep or restrain) with 'it' as a placeholder for one's composure or emotions and 'together' (mentally composed). This V + pronoun + particle pattern is common in English (see 'keep it together') and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Hold it together comes from the simple picture of someone using their hands to hold broken parts together so they do not fall apart. That's why it means 'to stay calm and keep control' in a difficult situation.