hold one's fire
hold (one's) fire
1. To cease or pause firing a firearm. Hold your fire, men—wait until they have crested the hill before attacking. Tell your men to hold fire! We surrender! Wait, hold your fire! I know this woman—she's not an intruder!
2. By extension, to stop attacking, harassing, or criticizing someone or something. He's asking his legions of fans to hold their fire in their online attacks against his accuser. Everyone, hold your fire and give the guy a chance to respond and explain himself! She's being harassed online, and there's no way to get all these trolls to hold their fire.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hold one's fire
Refrain from comment or criticism, especially for the time being. For example, Hold your fire, Jim, she's not finished yet, or Nancy decided to hold her fire until she had more information. This expression alludes to refraining from shooting a gun and originated in the military.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.