hold/stand your ground

hold (one's) ground

1. To brace oneself and maintain one's position during or when anticipating an attack. The other team's offense was incredibly aggressive, but our defense held their ground. Despite the guy's size, I managed to hold my ground during the fight. Men, the enemy is going to try to overwhelm us, but hold your ground!

2. To refuse to yield, compromise, or be belittled; to stand up against an attack or insult. The boss scoffed at her idea initially, but she held her ground and explained it in greater detail. He kept offering me less money, but I held my ground and got the full asking price. Thank goodness that group of senators held their ground and managed to get this vital healthcare bill passed!

stand your ground

A phrase referring, in the United States, to a law that allows one to use force that would otherwise be illegal against a person that they perceive as posing an immediate threat of serious bodily harm. The name comes from the idea that one can "stand one's ground" rather than retreat. The shooter's state has a stand your ground law, so it's unlikely he'll face any charges, even though the man he shot was unarmed. It's still too early to tell whether the prosecutor will consider this a case of "stand your ground."

hold/stand your ˈground

face a situation and refuse to run away: In spite of the enemy’s fierce attack, we stood our ground and eventually they had to retreat. ♢ After arguing about future policy for three hours, he was still standing his ground.