Hang on for dear life informal verb phrase cliché
To hold something tightly, as though one's life depended on it.
She grabbed the rope and hung on for dear life, so he could pull her up.
She has given me hope and I must hang on for dear life.
To get away from the vicious dogs, we climbed the tree and hung on for dear life.
To grip, grasp or hold someone or something tightly because you do not want to lose it or fall
The verb "hang" should be conjugated according to its tense.
A problem or difficult circumstance
I'm short-sighted, so forgetting my glasses is a real hair in the butter for my sight.