hold sustained

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hold sustained" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey the idea of maintaining or continuing something over a period of time, but it lacks clarity and proper usage. Example: "The team was able to hold sustained pressure on the opposing defense throughout the match."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Arts

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Later the dancers — deer in the headlights, actors in the unforgiving spotlight — are caught in a yellowish glare as they try to hold sustained extensions.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The last time the Israelis and Palestinians held sustained high-level discussions in October, 100 miles down the Sinai coast from here, they failed to achieve even a modest agreement on goals for security cooperation.

The New York Times

That Ms. Damrau executed the scene's spiraling vocal roulades so accurately and held sustained tones with such penetrating steadiness lent a quality of eerie control to Lucia's madness.

The New York Times - Arts

Daltrey's voice sounded thicker and rougher-edged than it did in the sixties and seventies, but it had power and volume, and as the night progressed he took greater chances with it, throwing back his head and holding sustained high notes.

The New Yorker

Aside from a few odes to martyrdom posted on obscure jihadist websites, and sniffy complaints that Mr bin Laden's burial at sea offended Muslim tradition, scarcely a tear was shed.Neither Mr bin Laden nor al-Qaeda ever held sustained appeal for most of his fellow Arabs and Muslims.

The Economist

For the first time since the Republican primaries, Mr. Bush held a sustained question and answer session with voters, running longer than some recent campaign events.

The New York Times

Mr. Arron held a sustained C while the music ebbed and flowed around him, a mournful lament suddenly becoming a courtly dance and so on.

The New York Times - Arts

There were films that divided, in 2010, like Luca Guadagnino's "I Am Love," whose peach-like ripeness of sensation made some recoil, but which to others, a mite less embarrassable, showed with fine, Italianate panache how uncontrollable feelings can be held and sustained by an organizing eye.

The New Yorker

One addition to the guitar gameplay is the ability to play notes while holding a sustained note.

Wikipedia

Artistic expression today, Hedges holds, "is sustained by a system of interlocking, exclusive guilds," and "those who insist on remaining independent of these guilds...are locked out".

Huffington Post

But Tomatito prefaced the second with a thoughtful introduction arranged by Luis Salinas, which Mr. Camilo answered gracefully, holding his sustain pedal so that each arpeggio rang out, harplike, before blending into the next one.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, replace the phrase "hold sustained" with stronger alternatives like "maintain continuous" or "ensure continuity" to convey a sense of uninterrupted continuation.

Common error

Avoid using "hold" as a direct modifier of "sustained". Instead, clarify the relationship by using verbs that explicitly express continuation or maintenance of something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hold sustained" does not have a clear grammatical function in standard English. As Ludwig AI suggests, it's best to rephrase using clearer alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Arts

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

8%

Wiki

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "hold sustained" might appear in various contexts, including News & Media and scientific articles, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI analysis suggests it lacks clarity and should be replaced with stronger alternatives such as "maintain continuous" or "ensure continuity" for better communication. When writing, prioritize clarity and grammatical accuracy to effectively convey your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

maintain continuous

Emphasizes uninterrupted continuation, replacing both "hold" and "sustained" with synonyms.

keep ongoing

Highlights the continuation of an activity or process, using simpler vocabulary.

support continuous

Focuses on providing support without interruption, shifting the emphasis slightly.

conducted continuously

Implies an action carried out without breaks, changing the phrase's agency.

held continuously

Highlights that something was holded with no breaks.

ensure continuity

Focuses on guaranteeing an uninterrupted sequence, adopting a more formal tone.

preserve ongoing

Underlines the action of preserving something in a continuous state, implying a degree of effort.

guarantee continuity

Similar to "ensure continuity" but suggests a stronger commitment or assurance.

undergo continuously

Highlights that something was holded with no breaks.

persevere continuously

Emphasizes the perseverance to keep something in place with no breaks.

FAQs

How can I use "hold sustained" correctly in a sentence?

While "hold sustained" is not standard English, you can rephrase it for clarity. For example, instead of "The dam held sustained pressure", try "The dam "maintained continuous pressure"".

What are some alternatives to "hold sustained"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "maintain continuous", "keep ongoing", or "ensure continuity".

Is "hold sustained" grammatically correct?

No, "hold sustained" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard written English. It's better to use more precise and grammatically sound alternatives.

What's the difference between "hold sustained" and "maintain continuous"?

"Hold sustained" is an awkward phrasing. "Maintain continuous" is clearer and grammatically correct, directly expressing the idea of keeping something going without interruption.