firm

remain, stay

Her grip on the rope remained firm as she climbed higher up the wall.

make sth

Kneading the dough for several minutes will make the bread firmer and easier to slice.

keep sth

She exercises regularly to keep her body firm and strong.

hold, remain, stand

The team remained firm in their decision to reject the unfair contract offer.

with

The teacher remained firm with her students about the deadline, refusing to accept late submissions.

start-up

Several young entrepreneurs launched their own firm to develop mobile applications.

establish, found, set up, start (up)

After years of working for others, he decided to establish his own design firm.

merge with

The two companies decided to merge with a larger firm last year.

acquire, buy (out), take over

Last year, a larger company bought out the small marketing firm where my sister worked.

close (down), dissolve

When the company ran out of money, they had to close down the firm last year.

employ, hire

The company decided to hire a firm to redesign their office building.

be based in sth

The accounting firm was based in London but had offices across Europe.

compete

Several small manufacturing firms competed fiercely for the same contract last year.

close (down), collapse, fail, go bust, go into liquidation

The struggling tech company went bust after losing its main investor last year.

specialize in sth

Our accounting firm specializes in helping small businesses with their taxes.

in/within a/the ~

My sister has worked in the firm for five years and loves her job there.