hold your 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!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.See also: fire, hold

hold your fire

or

hold fire

1. If you hold your fire or hold fire, you wait and do not do anything for a while. We are holding fire on our assessment of the situation until a detailed analysis can be made.2. If you hold your fire or hold fire, you delay attacking or criticizing someone. The administration will hold its fire until it sees the detail of the bill, but is likely then to oppose it. Note: These expressions are also used literally to talk about a situation where soldiers stop shooting, or wait before they start shooting. See also: fire, hold

hold your ˈfire


1 delay or stop shooting for a while: Hold your fire! I think they’re going to surrender. OPPOSITE: open fire (on somebody/something)
2 stop attacking somebody: She told the journalists to hold their fire. If they didn’t listen to her, how would they know what she thought?See also: fire, hold