1
as in clutched
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retained
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in believed
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
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4
5
as in had
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 owned
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in grasped
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
10
as in controlled
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 aimed
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
held the camera on the actor throughout the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of held
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
—
Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025
Mack held 35 actress and five producer credits during her career, according to the statement posted to CaringBridge.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
That’s different from another type of equity offering held by the NFL.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
One of the duties Lelakes has held at the YMCA is overseeing facilities across the county of San Diego for maintenance and capital improvement projects.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The docuseries will be available to stream beginning Thursday on Prime Video, but an early screening of the second episode was held Monday for a collection of friends, family, business associates and media.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
During 9/11, people walked down the stairs in single file and held the door open for each other.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025
Mack held 35 actress and five producer credits during her career, according to the statement posted to CaringBridge.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
That’s different from another type of equity offering held by the NFL.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
One of the duties Lelakes has held at the YMCA is overseeing facilities across the county of San Diego for maintenance and capital improvement projects.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The docuseries will be available to stream beginning Thursday on Prime Video, but an early screening of the second episode was held Monday for a collection of friends, family, business associates and media.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
During 9/11, people walked down the stairs in single file and held the door open for each other.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held
Verb
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According to The Cut, Tami also impersonated Kendra for her last Halloween party, dressing as a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit paired with a mask of her mugshot and phones clutched in its hands.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Zarutska clutched her throat and collapsed.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Family members of Reed retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, his office announced Tuesday.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
-
What To Know Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced on Tuesday that he has been retained by Reed's family and will undertake an independent investigation into the student's death.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Messages Robinson is believed to have sent on Discord stated a need to retrieve a rifle from a pick-up point, leaving the rifle in a bush, watching the area where a rifle was left and having wrapped the rifle in a towel, according to the affidavit.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The driver of the SUV was transported to an area hospital with injuries police believed to be not life-threatening.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Anonymous tips forward to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center reported threatening posts from a Discord profile that referenced plans for a future massacre and contained pictures of guns.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
If childhood-vaccination rates plummet, giving pathogens new targets in unprotected babies and young children, outbreaks won’t necessarily stay contained to those age groups.—
Jamie Ducharme,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And the new role had a different sort of perk, in the form of compensation.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But Kraft ran Harris over, rumbled to the 7-yard line and two plays later Josh Jacobs had a 2-yard TD run.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Italian yacht Django 7X, owned by YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati and with Vasco Vascotto as tactician to the top prize.—
Bill Springer,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The teacher owned Liberace’s old piano — and ended up selling it to Debbie.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Use it, tell them about your dietary needs and ask if you can be accommodated beyond a baked potato.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Bulky luggage like bicycles and sports equipment is also easily accommodated on the train.—
Jenn Rice,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This thoughtful composition from Yang Bo was taken in the sky over Nanjing, China during totality, creating the illusion that the blood moon is being grasped in the claw of a vast stone dragon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The robot must determine where the object can be safely grasped, whether surfaces will slip or break under pressure, and how weight is distributed.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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