Idiom
hold the fort
Meanings
To stay behind and manage a place or duties while someone else is away.
Definition
To hold the fort means to stay and take care of things while someone else is away.
To hold the fort means to remain in charge of a place or situation for a short time until another person returns. It often implies keeping things running smoothly and handling small problems. It can be used at work, at home, or in any situation where someone needs temporary responsibility.
Examples
- Can you hold the fort while I run to the store?
- I’ll hold the fort until the manager gets back from lunch.
- She held the fort during her boss’s weeklong trip.
- Thanks for holding the fort while we met with the client.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes say "keep the fort" instead of the correct idiom "hold the fort."
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.