1
as in grips
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 retains
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 thinks
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 has
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 owns
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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7
8
as in grasps
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 regulates
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 aims
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
held the camera on the actor throughout the scene
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clasps
the act or manner of holding
make sure you have a firm hold on the chain saw before you turn it on
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2
as in strongholds
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the ruins of an ancient Roman hold
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3
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others
the government has no hold over where we live and work
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4
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
upon hearing the guilty verdict, the accused realized that he would lie in that godforsaken hold for the remainder of his life
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5
as in understandings
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something
I need to get hold of the situation before planning a course of action
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6
as in imprisonments
the state of being held in lawful custody
a suspected terrorist who was abducted at an airport and put in hold at an undisclosed location
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holds
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
According to chief customer officer Brie Carere, FedEx currently holds a 12 percent share in the $22 billion premium air freight market.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
The Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament, announced the referendum on Wednesday after gathering enough support through petition signatures.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
His story is told in Tristan Forever, which holds its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Augustine holds a law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Moore is the vice chair of the National Governors Association, which traditionally holds an annual bipartisan meeting at the White House.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Woolf’s desk holds crumpled sheets of paper, books, and a vase of daffodils.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Lampard also holds the record for goals scored by a midfielder in the Premier League, with 177.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
During the clock's terminal count, beginning at T-10 minutes, teams will be put through a series of holds and count recycles to ensure readiness under a variety of scenarios.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Domínguez set career highs in appearances, innings, holds and strikeouts last season.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
All those great ships, their holds full of human cargo, had been conjured up in an unremarkable spot in present-day Mudchute Park.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The event was livestreamed on Netflix with a 10-second delay so the public could follow closely his daring leaps and no-hands holds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
That helped add up to 30 holds, tied for the fifth most in the majors behind only the Brewers’ Abner Uribe, the Guardians’ Hunter Gaddis, the Reds’ Tony Santillan and Tyler Rogers.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Purchases using a debit card are authorized against your available balance, which is your current balance minus any pending transactions and holds.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Minnesota Department of Corrections contacted all county jails in the state Monday to ask how many people in custody had immigration detention holds.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Malinin holds just more than a five-point lead over his biggest rival, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, with scores from both the short program and free skate added together to determine a winner.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
According to chief customer officer Brie Carere, FedEx currently holds a 12 percent share in the $22 billion premium air freight market.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
The Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament, announced the referendum on Wednesday after gathering enough support through petition signatures.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
His story is told in Tristan Forever, which holds its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Augustine holds a law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Moore is the vice chair of the National Governors Association, which traditionally holds an annual bipartisan meeting at the White House.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Woolf’s desk holds crumpled sheets of paper, books, and a vase of daffodils.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Lampard also holds the record for goals scored by a midfielder in the Premier League, with 177.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
Analysts appear confident on the company for now, with Walmart boasting 47 buy-equivalent ratings to go along with just three holds and one sell, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
During the clock's terminal count, beginning at T-10 minutes, teams will be put through a series of holds and count recycles to ensure readiness under a variety of scenarios.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Domínguez set career highs in appearances, innings, holds and strikeouts last season.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
All those great ships, their holds full of human cargo, had been conjured up in an unremarkable spot in present-day Mudchute Park.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The event was livestreamed on Netflix with a 10-second delay so the public could follow closely his daring leaps and no-hands holds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
That helped add up to 30 holds, tied for the fifth most in the majors behind only the Brewers’ Abner Uribe, the Guardians’ Hunter Gaddis, the Reds’ Tony Santillan and Tyler Rogers.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Purchases using a debit card are authorized against your available balance, which is your current balance minus any pending transactions and holds.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Minnesota Department of Corrections contacted all county jails in the state Monday to ask how many people in custody had immigration detention holds.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds
Verb
-
The community held a candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy Guthrie's safe return as the baffling case grips the nation.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
When cold weather grips the South for days on end, the thought of a humid summer gets better and better.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
According to the American Craft Spirits Association, American craft distilleries rose from 150 to 200 in 2010 to over 3,000 by 2023, and while that number has begun to level off over the past year, the craft whiskey industry retains its strong presence.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The potential inclusions of right-hander Alexis Díaz (a former All-Star closer who still retains minor league options) and left-hander Jacob Latz (who will compete for the fifth starter job) could erase opportunities for others.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bill Maher thinks the bridge between him and Jimmy Kimmel might be burned for good.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Celestin thinks the trend will continue as Black voters start to realize where their goals align with the Republican Party.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Black tea contains polyphenols, such as theaflavins and thearubigins, that act like prebiotics, benefiting the bacteria in your microbiome.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
-
For instance, some soil contains too much clay, causing drainage problems.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bipartisan skepticism of corporate power comes and goes in America, but the latest wave has roots in the parallel streams flowing from the Great Financial Crisis, Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Paul has a reputation for taking collectibles to extreme levels and has spent millions to secure some of the rarest items ever produced, including NFTs - unique, verifiable digital assets traded on the blockchain.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Engineers at Google, which owns Nest, were able to recover data after several days.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The parents of the three Miami Yacht Club summer campers who were killed last summer when a 60-foot barge slammed into their sailboat sued the company that owns the barge, alleging negligence and irresponsible hiring.—
Milena Malaver,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This boutique lodge, located in the mountains outside of Fernie, accommodates no more than 36 overnight guests at a time.—
Brent Rose,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Yet many companies undermine those benefits by choosing automation that accommodates existing packaging, especially when scaling operations.—
Ken Bowles,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When a word feels too abstract, Jacobs shifts the phrasing, lowers the tempo or elongates a syllable until Siena grasps it.—
Reylee Billingsley,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The nearly colorless imagery really grasps the soul of the moment and the chill of our wintry days.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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