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"
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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
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
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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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of holding
Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026
The Banking Committee could therefore be in a holding pattern until early May, or at least until the DOJ's next steps become clear.
—Kevin Breuninger,jeff Cox,alex Harring,matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The positive sentiment has held up during this week's trade, with major markets holding near record highs.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
The Office of Government Ethics said Warsh would have to divest from several dozen holdings.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026
The Banking Committee could therefore be in a holding pattern until early May, or at least until the DOJ's next steps become clear.
—Kevin Breuninger,jeff Cox,alex Harring,matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Other shots showed them holding baby Delilah, who had a light blue bow in her hair and had a matching light blue pacifier in her mouth.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The positive sentiment has held up during this week's trade, with major markets holding near record highs.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
In a dissent to the appeals court's latest ruling, Judge Nancy Abudu wrote that immigration is a federal responsibility and that the federal government cannot relinquish its authority just because Florida officials built an immigration detention center.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Texas can now require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, a ruling that has reignited debate over the role of religion in public education.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Deployed as a winger against strong opposition, Wiegman has also used James as a central attacking midfielder in games where England are likely to dominate possession.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Rapids dominated possession in the first half, but Messi scored on a penalty kick to give Miami the lead in the 18th minute after Bright got fouled in the box after stealing the ball in the six-yard box.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Morales is seen in surveillance video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Steinem entered the quietly buzzing room wearing all black and clutching a wooden cane painted with blue and pink birds in her right hand.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Just two months ago, multi-generation cattle rancher Joe Fischer spoke about the pressures of keeping his operation running.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
And that light from across the street that shines right into your bedroom window at night, keeping you from falling asleep?—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In July 2021, Marshall proposed to Moody at Property Brothers star Drew Scott's home, where Moody had arrived thinking that the two were going to be shooting a show about dinner guests, according to Just Jared, which had exclusive photos of the engagement at the time.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For years, people have streamed high-resolution video without thinking about the tech behind it.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The findings, published in an April 21 study led by University of Florida geologist Amy Williams in the journal Nature, reveal that of the 21 carbon-containing molecules identified, seven were detected for the first time on Mars.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The other soldier is accused of having contact with a foreign agent, transmitting information to the enemy and other offenses, according to the indictment.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan know that having two solid contributors on cheap deals is vastly superior to having one overpriced guy who is statistically no better than the field.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Hatfield-McCoy feud is a complex story related the power of owning land when land was the only power, with its own love story at the center.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
In Chicago, owning in today’s market typically costs about $484 more per month than renting.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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