Meaning & use
holding water
Last updated
“holding water” is a form of “hold water”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phraseidiomfigurative
Seeming to be sound and believable when tested, because the reasoning behind an idea or claim is strong.
Grammar: Subject is an idea, theory or excuse; usually negative: the excuse isn't holding water.
Patterns
- something is not holding water
- something holds water
His story about the missing money isn't holding water.
Is the theory still holding water after the new data?
Her excuse for being late wasn't holding water.
verbintransitive
Keeping liquid inside without leaking, as a container or structure does.
Grammar: No object when used literally: the bucket is holding water.
Patterns
- something is holding water
The old pond is holding water again after the repairs.
A good roof gutter should keep holding water out of the walls.
The pot has a crack and is no longer holding water.
Word forms
| base form | hold water |
|---|---|
| third person singular | holds water |
| past tense | held water |
| past participle | held water |
Common combinations
- not holding water
- The company's explanation is not holding water.
- still holding water
- I doubt the argument is still holding water today.
- an argument holding water
- A good lawyer builds an argument holding water under any questions.
- a story that isn't holding water
- The witness's story isn't holding water.
- holding water in the tank
- The tank is holding water after the leak was fixed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stand up
- Stand up (to scrutiny) is a close alternative and works in the same contexts, though it is slightly less picturesque.
- make sense
- Make sense is milder and only says something is understandable, not that it survives testing.
- be valid
- Be valid is more formal and abstract, suited to logic or law rather than casual speech.
- ring true
- Ring true is about sounding honest or believable to a listener, while holding water is about passing logical tests.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: holding water or holding your breath?
holding water vs holding your breath
Holding your breath means not breathing for a while, often from fear or waiting, and has nothing to do with an argument being sound.
Practice
The detective said the suspect's alibi was not ___, because the café had been closed that night.
Choose one answer.
An alibi that fails when tested 'doesn't hold water'. 'Holding court' and 'holding sway' are other idioms about influence, and 'holding hands' is literal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “holding water”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.