1
as in ruling
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard
the court's holding was based on an interpretation of the First Amendment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in possession
usually holdings plural
transportable items that one owns
the museum's holdings of ancient manuscripts are among the rarest in the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clutching
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in keeping
to continue to have in one's possession or power
she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thinking
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in containing
to have within
the mysterious chest held an ancient book on magic spells and potions
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in having
to keep in one's mind or heart
still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in owning
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
the same family has held this piece of land for over 100 years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in accommodating
to make or have room for
the couple needed to rent a hall that would hold 300 people
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in grasping
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
please hold my arm on these slippery stairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in considering
to think of in a particular way
held to be the best blueberry pies in the state
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in controlling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in aiming
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of holding
Nick Wells,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Titan has made exits from previous holdings BlueWillow, an AI image-generation tool, and Dascena, a pioneer in algorithmic disease detection.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
White seabass hatched in Carlsbad are distributed to 10 coastal holding pens operated by volunteers from San Diego to Ventura, including a large site at Santa Catalina Island.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
The activity is often interpreted by investors as a potential bearish signal, and can influence other shareholders to also sell their holdings.
—Nick Wells,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Titan has made exits from previous holdings BlueWillow, an AI image-generation tool, and Dascena, a pioneer in algorithmic disease detection.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
There were at least four false starts by both the first- and second-team offenses, a pass interference in the red zone and at least one holding penalty.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
White seabass hatched in Carlsbad are distributed to 10 coastal holding pens operated by volunteers from San Diego to Ventura, including a large site at Santa Catalina Island.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
That motion is pending a ruling.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
However, even if the NCPC approves the plan, the project can’t move forward due to Leon’s ruling.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Heat’s zone worked on several second-half possessions, but Miami still allowed too many open threes -- and had too many defensive breakdowns -- when the game was decided in the fourth quarter.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Bush is charged with murder, home invasion and criminal possession of a firearm, and is being held in lieu of a $2 million court set bond.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dozens of women in hijabs and men in clutching paper cups stood inside Turath Coffee, 9916 College Blvd.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
After a January morning skate at the San Jose Sharks practice facility, dozens of bustling young fans — clutching hockey cards, action shots, team jerseys and hats — crowded near an exit, hoping for a brief interaction.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Supporters say the plates will help recognize the cultural pride that goes into keeping these hot rods rolling on California roadways.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Gibbs will request, keeping them busier than clients half her age.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Focus on the craft in front of you without thinking of its hypothetical audience.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But as these researchers are the first to admit, the difficulty of defining intelligence is as old as the study of thinking itself—and has plagued artificial intelligence as a field from its very earliest days.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Through a red chain-link curtain is a back room containing the likes of Screw, Al Goldstein’s erotic tabloid from the sixties and seventies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The Jupiter-esque planet known as TOI-5205 b is the first exoplanet of its kind with an atmosphere containing far fewer heavy elements than similarly sized objects, as well as its own red dwarf star.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Parents love having an easy, reusable activity for restaurants, travel days, sleepovers or quiet time at home.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Owl, which is unique in having two of these nontraded private credit funds, is also among the last to report redemptions.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a court filing, the FCC has defended the Media Bureau approval, as well as its decision to grant Nexstar a waiver from a media ownership cap that limits any one entity from owning stations covering more than 39% of the country.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Together, these moves (along with owning a Popeyes restaurant franchise) show Megan’s ability to seamlessly blend music, branding, and pop culture into moments that capture attention, drive conversation…plus sales.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
