The man went to the door and tried to open it, but couldn't as Phil was holding the door from inside.
Is the meaning of "holding the door" clear here?
Is there something I could write instead to avoid any unclarity?
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Why do you think it might not be clear?– ColleenVCommented Jan 14, 2021 at 16:13
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holding normally means having something in one's grasp, so your text only really works if we suppose that what Phil is actually holding is a "turnable" door-handle (which he's holding in a fixed position, so the intruder can't rotate it to retract the door's locking bolt). Otherwise (if for example there is no handle on the inside of the door, which is quite possible), he's blocking the door.– FumbleFingersCommented Jan 14, 2021 at 17:16
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1 Answer
“Hold the door” by itself is used to mean “hold the door open” (see Why do you hold the door for others? for an example). From your context, it’s clear that’s not what you mean, so I would instead go with “hold the door closed” or “hold the door shut”, which is not ambiguous and conjures an image of someone leaning or pushing against a door so that no one can enter (or pulling on the handle if it opens the other way).
