continue vs hold on

continue and hold on both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
continue	No	No	Yes	No
hold on	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, hold on is a hyponym of continue; that is, hold on is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than continue:

continue (verb)	hold on (verb)
exist over a prolonged period of time	be persistent, refuse to stop
continue talking	stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments
move ahead; travel onward in time or space	hold the phone line open
allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature	hold firmly
keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last	retain possession of
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
span an interval of distance, space or time
continue in a place, position, or situation
continue after an interruption
do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop