hold water

1. 1.

   resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc.

   “Her shoes won't hold up”

   “This theory won't hold water”

   Synonymsstand uphold up

   Broadersurvive

Questions about hold water

What does hold water mean?

hold water means "resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc.".

What is another word for hold water?

Close synonyms include stand up, hold up. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is hold water a common word?