Dic: hold onto, hold on to

• His right arm was extended up beside his head, still holding on to a coffee cup.
• He was struggling to hold onto a rock on the face of the cliff.
• Firms are now keen to hold on to the people they recruit.
• a politician who knew how to hold onto power.
• She might be better off holding onto her old computer for a year or two.
• The way to prevent fear from becoming panic is to hold onto your good sense.
• The team held on to first place with a 4–3 win last night.

1. PHRASAL VERB | If you hold on, or hold onto something, you keep your hand on it or around it, for example to prevent the thing from falling or to support yourself.
2. PHRASAL VERB | If you hold on to something that gives you an advantage, you succeed in keeping it for yourself, and prevent it from being taken away or given to someone else.
3. to continue to keep something

... Cobuild, Cambridge-American Idioms