HOLD WATER Definition & Meaning

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hold water

To seem logical and consistent: “At first I was persuaded by the politician's speech, but upon reflection, I decided her arguments didn't hold water.”

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Idioms and Phrases

Stand up to critical examination, be sound and valid, as in This argument just won't hold water , or Her reasons for quitting don't hold water . This metaphoric expression alludes to a container that can hold water without leaking. [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Water services are different, because the 'switch for a better deal' advice simply doesn't, ahem, hold water.

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“But if it gets universities to change policies out of fear, they can accomplish a lot even if the argument of the dear colleague letter doesn’t hold water.”

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The Water Trees, which the company plans to produce in the U.S., will hold water in a 4.8-millimeter-thick plastic membrane designed to resist fire and last for more than 20 years.

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Former and current DWP officials have acknowledged that if the Santa Ynez Reservoir had held water, higher-elevation areas of the Palisades would have had more water pressure, though it is unclear for how long.

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Had DWP held water in the reservoir with a ripped cover, the water would have been legally undrinkable except in emergencies.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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