hold the baby
idiom
British, informal
: to be given all of the blame or responsibility that should be shared with others
His friends ran away and he was left holding the baby.
Examples of hold the baby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the end of the clip, the emotional aunt contains her excitement enough to hold the baby.
—
Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2024
The hospital did not address why the couple could not hold the baby in its statement.
—Claretta Bellamy, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
Not strong enough to hold the baby on his own then, Parker is at full strength now.
—Marty Munson, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
And if guests want to hold the baby or go inside to use the bathroom, they’ll be asked to wear a mask.
—Ellen McCarthy, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2022
After that, researchers say to sit and hold the baby for five-to-eight minutes before putting them to bed.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022
Heck, show up at your mama friend’s house with a bottle of wine and hold the baby for a while.
—Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Feb. 2022
Kennedy thinks that the new mother was in shock. Jozef asked to hold the baby, and then asked the mother to trust her enough to take the baby to a doctor.
—Kate Morrissey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2021
To hold the baby right after it’s born, looking for resemblances to herself and Timmy.
—Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, 15 July 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2024
The hospital did not address why the couple could not hold the baby in its statement.
—Claretta Bellamy, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
Not strong enough to hold the baby on his own then, Parker is at full strength now.
—Marty Munson, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
And if guests want to hold the baby or go inside to use the bathroom, they’ll be asked to wear a mask.
—Ellen McCarthy, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2022
After that, researchers say to sit and hold the baby for five-to-eight minutes before putting them to bed.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022
Heck, show up at your mama friend’s house with a bottle of wine and hold the baby for a while.
—Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Feb. 2022
Kennedy thinks that the new mother was in shock. Jozef asked to hold the baby, and then asked the mother to trust her enough to take the baby to a doctor.
—Kate Morrissey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2021
To hold the baby right after it’s born, looking for resemblances to herself and Timmy.
—Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, 15 July 2021
Dictionary Entries Near hold the baby
Cite this Entry
“Hold the baby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20the%20baby. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share