What does ‘Hold’ Refer to in the Expression ‘No Holds Barred’?

No holds barred means no rules or restrictions on what somebody is allowed to do or, in other words, nothing is off-limits.

“Hold” in this phrase refers to the holds in a match of wrestling, just like a “lock” in a game of WWE. In wrestling matches, certain holds may cause unbearable pain or a permanent injury. Therefore, it is not legal to use them. Some holds are barred there. Some holds are restricted.

Thus, if something is no holds barred, it means that there is no restriction or limit to what one can do.

Sometimes, the hyphenated no-holds-barred is also used as an adjective to imply something unrestrained.

For example —

“It indeed was a no-holds-barred debate. Accusations and counteraccusations flew like a volley of bullets.”

It means that there was no restriction or constraint on what people could say to each other.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.