hold one's fire

English

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Phrase

hold one's fire

  1. Do not discharge a weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder; now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.
  2. (colloquial, idiomatic) Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.
    Hold your fire and let me explain.

Antonyms
  • return fire
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