hinge on

hinge on — phrasal verb

  • hinge onbase form
  • hinges on3rd person singular
  • hinging on-ing form
  • hinged onpast simple

1. if something hinges on a particular factor, that single thing decides whether it

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

if something hinges on a particular factor, that single thing decides whether it will succeed, happen, or be true — nothing else matters as much

例句

Ada's promotion hinged on the client signing the contract by Friday.

hinge on + noun phrase with -ing complement

Whether the festival goes ahead hinges on Trang getting the permits in time.

hinge on + whether-clause as subject

同義詞
  • depend on

    more general; does not imply a single decisive factor the way 'hinge on' does

  • rest on

    similar meaning but more formal; often used with abstract nouns like 'assumption' or 'argument'

  • turn on

    close synonym, but 'turn on' often suggests the outcome pivots on one moment or piece of evidence

  • be contingent on

    formal register; common in legal and business documents

文法句型

hinge on + noun phrase

hinge on + whether-clause

hinge on + wh-clause

用法筆記

Almost always followed by a noun phrase or a wh-clause (especially 'whether'). The object is the single decisive factor — the phrase carries stronger emphasis on total dependence than 'depend on'.

常見錯誤

❌The plan hinges on if we get funding.
✅The plan hinges on whether we get funding.
💡'hinge on' takes 'whether', not 'if', for indirect questions.
❌His decision hinged on from the weather.
✅His decision hinged on the weather.
💡'hinge on' takes a direct object; never insert another preposition.