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
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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
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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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of holding
Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 22 Oct. 2025
Since 2022, CalPERS has nearly doubled its private equity holdings, from $50 billion to $92 billion.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
The follow-up tease showed someone holding a bunch of wires, insinuating that her costume likely has some animatronics involved.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
In 2018, Disney was eyeing a move downtown and sold off its holdings along the block to Silverstein Properties, which in turn later sold 77 West 66th Street and 54 West 67th Street to Extell for $931 million.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 22 Oct. 2025
Since 2022, CalPERS has nearly doubled its private equity holdings, from $50 billion to $92 billion.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
At the police station, she was booked, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell with other female protesters for about five hours before being released.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
The follow-up tease showed someone holding a bunch of wires, insinuating that her costume likely has some animatronics involved.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
The court's ruling could influence how future AI laws evolve and how victims seek justice.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After considerable time, referee Cal McNeill announced that the ruling on the field — even though there had not been any indication of one — was that the ball indeed hit a Nevada player and was recovered by the Broncos.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Maldives also maintains a complete ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, regardless of age.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The Rainbows have been effective in the red zone, scoring on 97% of their possessions inside the 20-yard line.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd of more than 100 people, many clutching drinks from the open bar, roared in approval.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Ditching the fake blood, the TV star wore a pretty pink prom dress and tiara while clutching a flower bouquet to recreate the chilling scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Larson, the only Asian American to race full-time in NASCAR, has not won a race since May, totaling 24 consecutive races but thanked his crew chief Cliff Daniels for keeping the team together.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Brands raced to expand through new stores and soaring stock keeping units — using quantity as the main measure of success.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Typing becomes editing, not thinking.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And not thinking there were going to be a point of anything.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Look 5 degrees to the lower left of the Pleiades to find the patch of sky containing Uranus.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The recall was initiated because products containing wheat were incorrectly placed into packaging that doesn't list the presence of wheat, according to the FDA.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Fast and Free High-rise Tight 25-inch 5-pocket There’s simply no such thing as having too many pockets, as exhibited by these fan-favorite five-pocket leggings, which are currently $69.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
-
However, after having the scan, Bishop had the uneasy sense that something wasn’t right.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
India’s new corporate vanguard Increasingly, many of these centers are leading efforts on product engineering, AI model development, and automation strategy — co-owning innovation and intellectual property in the process.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In fact, according to Oxfam's latest findings, the wealthiest 1% currently control 43% of the world’s wealth, while owning more capital than 95% of humanity combined.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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