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
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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
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
Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 July 2025
More worrying still: At the start of 2025, the company owed $502 million in debt repayments versus about $340 million in cash holdings.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Gene McCaffrey, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
Witnesses told investigators that Jones had knocked on the door and Brown had answered, holding a firearm, according to court documents.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
In the past couple of years Sony has made enormous investments in Queen and Pink Floyd catalogs — $1.1 billion and $400 million respectively — while Primary Wave made a $100 million deal for 50% of Notorious B.I.G.’s holdings.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 July 2025
More worrying still: At the start of 2025, the company owed $502 million in debt repayments versus about $340 million in cash holdings.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
His power doesn’t look promising, but neither does anything holding him back.
—Gene McCaffrey, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
Witnesses told investigators that Jones had knocked on the door and Brown had answered, holding a firearm, according to court documents.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
Under Iran's constitution, the Supreme Leader must be a male Shiite cleric known for piety, political wisdom, and jurisprudential authority—typically a Mujtahid, recognized by peers as qualified to issue religious rulings.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
Among the biggest developments was a ruling against language to prevent immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance in accordance with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often referred to as food stamps.—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Wiegman normally uses a 4-2-3-1 out of possession and then, in possession, pushes her box-to-box midfielder up the field to form a 4-3-3.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
The grand jury returned the indictment this week, charging Labrador Sierra with possession of a firearm by an alien who is in the U.S. unlawfully, making a false statement while purchasing a firearm, and making or using false documents, the DOJ said in a news release.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Van Dijk will not enjoy the replays either but Liverpool’s captain responded in a way that should remind everyone — in the week that Salah’s new contract was announced — about the importance of keeping the Dutchman at Anfield.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
-
The victory also made the Padres 11-3, tying the 1998 team for the best 14-game start in franchise history and keeping the Padres with the best record in Major League Baseball despite them missing two members of their offensive core much of the week.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
While established players often tout the breadth of their offerings, nimble and focused cybersecurity solutions are more likely to win the trust of forward-thinking CISOs and enterprises.—
James Winebrenner,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Those waking up without snow shouldn’t celebrate prematurely, thinking the storm might have missed them.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Gunfire ensued when Ratliff came out of the vault with a sack containing money.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American-Statesman,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Those are akin to having put together examples of people playing a sport, some examples containing no mistakes, and other examples revealing discernable mistakes.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Not for this year’s draft, unfortunately, but having 2026 and 2027 picks from an aging Lightning squad isn’t a bad bet at all.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
After having Dirk Nowitzki, a foreign superstar who stuck with the team for his entire career, the team was looking forward to another player following suit.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Those who don’t have Russian documents face the daily threat of arrest and deportation to Russia, have no right to work, no access to even the most basic health services or pensions and are barred from owning property.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Having a peace force like the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That being said, other iPhone 13 Pro Max users will appreciate this bag’s accommodating nature.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Known as 504 plans, the popular system for accommodating students in school are geared for kids who do qualify for help under disability plans known as IEPs, or Individualized Education Programs.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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