Synonyms of hold
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as in to grip 
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as in to keep
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as in to think
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as in to contain
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as in to have
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as in to retain
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as in to accommodate
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as in to grasp
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as in to consider
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as in to regulate
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as in to aim
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as in grip
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as in stronghold
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as in sway
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as in contact
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as in jail
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as in understanding
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as in imprisonment
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1
as in to grip
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
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2
as in to keep
to continue to have in one's possession or power
she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest
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3
as in to think
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
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5
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart
still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted
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6
as in to retain
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
the same family has held this piece of land for over 100 years
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as in to grasp
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
please hold my arm on these slippery stairs
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as in to regulate
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
we managed to hold our laughter until we got outside hold your temper until you hear the whole story
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11
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
held the camera on the actor throughout the scene
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1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding
make sure you have a firm hold on the chain saw before you turn it on
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2
as in stronghold
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the ruins of an ancient Roman hold
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3
as in sway
the right or means to command or control others
the government has no hold over where we live and work
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4
as in contact
the state or fact of being able to exchange information regarding one's current situation
I worry that I won't be able to get hold of you in an emergency
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5
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
upon hearing the guilty verdict, the accused realized that he would lie in that godforsaken hold for the remainder of his life
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6
as in understanding
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something
I need to get hold of the situation before planning a course of action
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7
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody
a suspected terrorist who was abducted at an airport and put in hold at an undisclosed location
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Does playing Coachella hold any special significance for you?
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily placed on hold a judge’s order that the Trump administration had to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father mistakenly deported to El Salvador, to the United States.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold
Verb
The school’s namesake will be honored at the event, which will be held at the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center in Los Angeles on May 3.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Does playing Coachella hold any special significance for you?
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
Following the Mar-a-Lago dinner, the White House reversed course on H20 chips, putting the plan for additional restrictions on hold, according to two sources with knowledge of the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily placed on hold a judge’s order that the Trump administration had to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father mistakenly deported to El Salvador, to the United States.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold
Verb
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Directed by Shinji Higuchi—known for blending stunning visuals with gripping human drama in works like Shin Godzilla—this panic-suspense thriller follows the intense struggles of those racing to save lives under extreme conditions.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2025
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What To Know China's main stock indexes—the CSI 300 and the MSCI China—fell on Monday, with similar gloomy sentiment gripping Asian markets.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For theater lovers, the ever-changing lineup of new productions, revivals, and experimental pieces offers endless reasons to keep coming back.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Ink’s been careful about building a team that could champion her country presence while not keeping her pigeonholed in any one genre.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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A couple years ago, fans even thought that Swift might make a cameo onthe medical drama, which is still on the air after 20 years.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
2 Apr. 2025
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Staying silent for a few seconds can make people think of you as smart.—
Kathy and Ross Petras, Contributors,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Keystone oil pipeline was shut down Tuesday morning following a rupture in North Dakota, with the resulting spill contained to an agricultural field near Fort Ransom.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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The underlying challenge the editorial was hinting at was how any reform can be accomplished through governance mechanisms to contain growth which also respects some measure of individual choice for consumption.—
Saleem H. Ali,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Devil May Cry has this raw, untamed cool that most video games can’t touch.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Downsides While apple cider vinegar has potential benefits, taking it before bed can have some downsides.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the aftermath, the motion states, Doe retained legal counsel and, following months of negotiations, was able to reach a settlement with Schrader’s lawyers in February of this year.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
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Status quo supporters claim voters still choose because the appointee must run for election to retain the seat.—
Bob Marshall,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Modern mainframes offer significant processing power, handling up to 30,000 transactions per second, and can accommodate substantial data with up to 40 terabytes of memory.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The new bridge is an 80-foot-long, single-span bridge to provide better flow of water in Columbia Hollow Creek and is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and is designed to accommodate all legal loads.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This includes the emergence of theory of mind, the point at which children really start grasping the idea that other people have their own set of beliefs and representations of reality.—
Charlotte Hu,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2025
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Jack Blues is sweetly grasping his 31-year-old dad’s face in the frames — which appear to have been taken after bathtime — while lying on a white towel on a tiled floor.—
Clare Fisher,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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