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
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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"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in containing
to have within
the mysterious chest held an ancient book on magic spells and potions
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in considering
to think of in a particular way
held to be the best blueberry pies in the state
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of holding
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The app turns bank transactions, cash spending and cryptocurrency holdings into colorful, easy-to-scan charts instead of dense ledgers.
—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
New Atlas,
3 July 2026
The 37-year-old real estate agent and reality TV star announced the exciting news on Instagram, sharing pictures of herself holding the sonogram with her growing baby bump on full display.
—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
Club holdings and hyperscalers Meta Platforms , Alphabet , Amazon , and Microsoft have all aggressively raised capital expenditures to keep pace in the heated AI arms race.
—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The app turns bank transactions, cash spending and cryptocurrency holdings into colorful, easy-to-scan charts instead of dense ledgers.
—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Verb
The molecules do not merely sit there holding electrons like ions in a conventional battery electrode.
—
New Atlas,
3 July 2026
The 37-year-old real estate agent and reality TV star announced the exciting news on Instagram, sharing pictures of herself holding the sonogram with her growing baby bump on full display.
—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
While the Supreme Court ruling focused specifically on cases in West Virginia and Idaho, it is expected to have far-reaching implications for those additional 25 states — and possibly more if other states pursue similar legislation.
-
In a 6-3 ruling split along ideological lines, the Supreme Court determined that federal caps on coordinated spending between candidates and political parties violate constitutional free speech protections.
Noun
-
Mogbo grabbed the rebound, setting up Sacramento’s final possession.
-
The score might not suggest dominance, but Colombia controlled the game from the outset and held possession for nearly two-thirds of the match.
Verb
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People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organization Outright International.
-
The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
Verb
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Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
-
Fostering discovery through those niche groups will likely prove essential to keeping the spirit of cinema alive.
Verb
-
Going into my 18th year of teaching, my biggest goal is re-creating that experience of thinking critically for oneself and studying literature through a critical lens.
-
Nearby, Mariana Roufett packed boxes of humanitarian aid while thinking about her childhood friend and her family, who remain missing.
Verb
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Financial regulation is struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, according to European policymakers, who are grappling with how to support adoption while containing risks to market integrity and stability.
-
In 2022, a large cluster of cases in Florida was attributed to a Caesar salad kit containing bagged romaine lettuce.
Verb
-
Swift and Kelce opted against having traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen.
-
The news came a day before Liz reported on Hong Kong’s beleaguered cinema market finally having an upturn, with overall box office revenues increasing by 25% thanks to a strong line-up of local and Hollywood releases.
Verb
-
Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged with owning an unregistered aircraft that was operated by another person.
-
After that, owning any edition puts you on the same live game, and my earlier release-and-early-access guide breaks down every window in one place.
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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