# hold one's nerve

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hold-ones-nerve
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To stay calm facing nervousness.

## Examples

- You must hold your nerve during the difficult test.
- The climber had to hold her nerve while she crossed the narrow bridge over the canyon.
- Despite the mounting pressure from the board of directors, the chief executive managed to hold his nerve and stick to the original long-term strategy.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.