hold one's fire

English

Pronunciation

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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.

Verb

hold one's fire

1. To refrain from criticism.

Antonyms

• return fire