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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
-
The family clutched onto one another as the carriage tipped over at Cherry Hill near Bethesda Fountain, but the boy’s mother fell out.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
He had been sucked out of a cabin on the morning of July 4 as children clutched at his limbs.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party retained its large parliamentary majority in recent elections overshadowed by unrest in Africa’s second-most-populous country.—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
-
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Alicent mistakenly believed Viserys was talking about their son Aegon II, saying Aegon II should be on the throne after Viserys dies, which lead to the Dance of the Dragons civil war.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
-
To showcase that connection, the museum is displaying a Revolutionary War sword from the Moulton family, which is being publicly presented for the first time and is believed to have been commissioned by George Washington.—
Penny E Schwartz,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Data centers are contained in buildings stretching as far as a football field, housing thousands of continually running machines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
Crews quickly established hose lines on the roof and contained the blaze to a portion of the solar panels atop the structure, achieving knockdown in 48 minutes with no injuries reported, the Fire Department said at the time.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Swept away The high altitude in Denver can cause certain pitch types to go awry, but Gray had the benefit of being able to mix and match from his expansive repertoire.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
24 June 2026
-
He's also made three career trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and had postseason career highs with nine assists and points in 20 games in 2022, helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Verb
-
The fire at the massive cold-storage warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics broke out Wednesday.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
The two-acre facility, owned by the city and operated by Downtown Skyport, is the busiest commercial heliport in the world, hosting up to 200 flights a day.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
This is undoubtedly a more active trip, with many guests engaging in long, intense hikes or sea kayaking excursions, though gentler paces accommodated those with less mobility.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
The center's restaurants and café have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items marked on their menus, and food allergies and special dietary needs will be accommodated as much as possible.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The tick should be grasped as close to the skin's surface as possible and pulled upward with steady, even pressure.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
The correct response cannot be grasped, only meditated upon in the way of a koan used to train Zen Buddhist monks and force them into enlightenment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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