take hold
idiomatic phrase
1
: to grasp, grip, or seize something
took hold and hung on tight
—often used with oftake hold of the railing
… she took hold of his arm with both her hands, and looked up eagerly—oh, with such terrible eagerness!—into his face.—
Anthony Trollope
—often used figurativelyAnthony TrollopeAs word of the subpoenas spread … confusion and hysteria took hold of the social set …—Bob Colacello
Bob ColacelloI did not want Merlin to retire from the job until I was ready to take hold of it effectively myself …—Mark Twain
Mark Twain2
: to become effective, established, or popular
The change in the law has not yet taken hold.
… a swath of land that has been spared from lava flows long enough that rich vegetation has had a chance to take hold.—G. Brad Lewis
G. Brad Lewis… here in central California the French aesthetic has recently taken hold.—Rebecca Coffey
Rebecca CoffeyExamples of take hold in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the third consecutive year since the WLF movement took hold of Iran, filmmakers and independent producers have come to the Berlinale hoping to shed light on indie and underground films made inside Iran and abroad.
—Tina Ahmadi Krol, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Violence erupted in Kansas in 1854, not over fugitive slaves but over the prospect of slavery taking hold there.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
But in recent weeks, student walkouts have been taking hold in a number of communities in and around Chicago after ICE involvement in Minneapolis has garnered national attention, especially following the recent deaths of two American citizens who were shot and killed by immigration officers.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
This was just as the Watergate era took hold and the Washington Post was becoming the most important and avidly read paper on earth.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take hold
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Tina Ahmadi Krol, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Violence erupted in Kansas in 1854, not over fugitive slaves but over the prospect of slavery taking hold there.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
But in recent weeks, student walkouts have been taking hold in a number of communities in and around Chicago after ICE involvement in Minneapolis has garnered national attention, especially following the recent deaths of two American citizens who were shot and killed by immigration officers.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
This was just as the Watergate era took hold and the Washington Post was becoming the most important and avidly read paper on earth.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take hold
Cite this Entry
“Take hold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20hold. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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