hold the fort
Manage during absence
Hold the fort means to maintain a position or keep things running while others are away.
The phrase comes from military usage—defending a fortification until reinforcements arrive.
Now it usually applies to mundane situations: Can you hold the fort while I grab lunch?
Sometimes hold down the fort.
Manage and direct
- superviseDirect and watch others
- coverProtect by overlaying
- stand inTemporary substitute person
- fill inTemporarily replace someone
take charge · mind the shop · look after · handle · run · coordinate · administer · steward
oversee
Manage and direct
fill in · take charge · mind the shop · look after · handle · run · coordinate · administer · steward · delegate
guard
Watchful defensive attention
garrison · barricade · shield · safeguard · withstand · resist · repel · entrench · battlements · rampart
- labor songslabor songs, which side are you on, bread and roses, pie in the sky, Internationale
- Leadership idiomslead by example, take the reins, at the helm, call the shots, take charge
hold the fortdesert
To leave behind completely
abandon ship · drop the ball · leave in the lurch · walk away · abandon
hold the fortrock the boat
Disturb a stable situation
shake things up · revolutionize · upset the apple cart · upend · overturn
hold, held, fort, holding, fortress, uphold, withhold, holds, forts