to hold open
14
3.7
- phrasal verb
:
mantener abierto
- The manager said she would hold open the application process until next week.
- hold open the possibility
- hold open meetings
- hold the door open
And then when I hold those spaces open, the easy ways come.
- And then when I hold those spaces open, the easy ways come.
- So, you know, I think it's possible and I hold open that possibility.
Examples
-
So, you know, I think it's possible and I hold open that possibility.
-
At public events, troopers will often hold doors open or guard the doorways.
-
After that one frozen moment, Malachi Reese smiled cordially and held the gate open.
Fiction book (1999) -
I can hold open the possibility of a new job if you decide to apply.
-
He told me that he will hold open my position until I return from vacation.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To continue doing something or stay in the same state
∞
1.0
Keep something for use later
145
3.1
To keep something for a particular person or purpose
54
3.1
Leave an option available for later use
21
3.9
To delay a final decision so you can choose later
15
4.2
To avoid choosing now so other choices remain
13
3.6
To keep a chance open for the future
2
7.9
To delay something and keep it for later use
Antonyms
How Available
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to keep something available or ensure the possibility remains' is directly compositional from 'hold' (to keep/retain) + 'open' (not closed/available), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the sense. This verb + adjective/particle combination is a common, cross-linguistically accessible pattern rather than an idiomatic shift, making the expression transparent.
Etymology
Hold open comes from the clear image of someone using a hand to hold a door open so another person can get in or a seat stays free. That's why it means 'to keep something available' or 'not to decide yet'.