hold on to — keep something and not give or sell it to anyone else
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to keep something and not let anyone else have it, often because it is valuable or important to you.
Say it like a native
Textbook I intend to retain these documents for future reference.
Native I'll hold on to these just in case.
'Hold on to' is the everyday verb for keeping something. 'Retain for future reference' is formal.
Pattern: hold on to + noun
In use
- I think I'll hold on to my old phone for a bit longer.daily life
- If I won a large amount of money, I would probably hold on to most of it instead of spending it right away.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ You should hold on it.
✓ You should hold on to it.
This sense needs 'to' — 'hold ON TO something'.
Common collocations
hold on to + thing— the receipt, your ticket, these, the originals
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'hold on' (wait) or 'hold' (carry or support).