hold it together
Maintain your composure
To hold it together is to maintain composure or function despite stress, grief, or difficult circumstances.
The phrase implies that falling apart is the natural tendency being resisted: I barely held it together during the funeral.
Someone who can't hold it together loses emotional control or fails to manage their responsibilities.
- composureEmotional self-control
- keep calmRemain emotionally steady
- stay strongEncouragement to persist
- gripSecure manual hold
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
stiff upper lip · deep breath · steadfastness · under pressure · white-knuckle · on the verge · equanimity · calmness · resolve · squeeze · poise · fortitude · perseverance · endurance · stability · bind · patience · sturdiness
- calming phrasesstay calm, calm down, relax, keep your cool, take it easy
- expressions about containmentboxed in, bottled up, hemmed in, penned in, locked in
hold it togetherfall apart
Break into pieces
lose it · break down · lose control · have a meltdown · come undone
hold it togetherfall apart
Break into pieces
collapse · disintegrate · come apart at the seams · unravel · crumble
hold it togetherfall to pieces
Fragment completely, lose cohesion
disintegrate · crumble · deteriorate · decompensate · buckle
hold, together, holds, holding, holder, holders, behold, beholden, beheld