# hold the fort

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hold-the-fort
Updated: 2026-07-14

## Meaning

To be responsible for something when someone else is unavailable.

## Examples

- I need to go out, so please hold the fort.
- While the manager is away on vacation, her assistant will hold the fort and handle any urgent emails.
- The junior partner was left to hold the fort during the crisis, managing the entire firm's operations while the senior executives were stuck in overseas negotiations.

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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.