as in assistance
patient and attentive guidance encouragement, or instruction
New computer users often require a good deal of hand-holding.
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Recent Examples of hand-holding
Beyond the yachts themselves, the yards are working hard to secure younger clients, with more hand-holding during the sale process and build period than ever before.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
The two played a game of Barrymore Bingo, featuring staple moments that happen in practically every interview, like hand-holding or getting curled up on the couch.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The service Don't expect any hand-holding here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
The two played a game of Barrymore Bingo, featuring staple moments that happen in practically every interview, like hand-holding or getting curled up on the couch.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The service Don't expect any hand-holding here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-holding
Noun
-
Experts and officials say the progress is largely thanks to the billions of dollars in public spending statewide, expanding street outreach, boosting rental assistance and converting motels into shelters and supportive housing, among other efforts to alleviate homelessness.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Significantly for the Charlotte area, the region is eligible for both grants and closing cost assistance.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Rather than focusing on the White House setting itself, White said his attention quickly turned toward how bugs could affect lighting, camera shots and the overall broadcast presentation during a live pay-per-view event.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
At full time, he was pushed forward by Will Hughes and Maxence Lacroix to take in the appreciation of the supporters, looking almost sheepish at the attention.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
When the Moon enters Taurus, support feels steady enough to believe.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The endorsement comes on the heels of a poll by a super PAC formed in support of Goldman’s that found the congressmember is trailing Lander by 5% in the race.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Shouldering an even heavier load without Boston in the paint, Clark torched the Storm defense, dropping a team-high 21 points and dishing out 10 assists along with seven rebounds.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Fever superstar Caitlin Clark led the way with game highs of 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Age-old concerns about gambling are growing, as addiction hotlines see a dramatic increase in calls for help.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
This was not an adequate explanation, and the woman was now looking back over her shoulder, as if searching for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The day before, the forest service responded to eight wildfire requests covering roughly 24,700 acres on Thursday.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
With over 500,000 weekly trips across the country, our service is proven to significantly reduce traffic injuries and improve road safety.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-holding. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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