hang in

verb

hung in; hanging in; hangs in

intransitive verb

informal : to refuse to be discouraged or intimidated : to keep going, trying, or working in a difficult situation

… did not hang in long enough to win even a battle.

—Marvin E. Frankel

Hoping to hang in until some series he works on runs five years and makes him $50 million in syndication …

—Chris Chase

—often used in the phrase hang in there

If there was ever a mismatched couple it was this one, but the children begged them to hang in there.

—Joseph Wambaugh

If she hung in there long enough, he would change. It just took a lot of patience with a little reasoning.

—Gloria Naylor

Examples of hang in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the legislative battle continues to unfold, the future of health care for undocumented migrants hangs in the balance. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025

Its business hanging in the balance, Perkins Coie hired Williams & Connolly, a Washington firm with an aggressive litigation style, to challenge the order. —Calvin Woodward, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025

Poignant questions hang in the air: Can Orpheus’s love pierce the darkness and bring Eurydice home? —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025

Wall Street is hanging in there this morning despite Trump’s new tariff wrinkle. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hang in

verb

informal

: to refuse to be discouraged or frightened

Hang in there, kid! Don't quit.