take hold

idiomatic phrase

1

: to grasp, grip, or seize something

took hold and hung on tight

—often used with of

take hold of the railing

… she took hold of his arm with both her hands, and looked up eagerly—oh, with such terrible eagerness!—into his face.

—Anthony Trollope

—often used figuratively

As word of the subpoenas spread … confusion and hysteria took hold of the social set …

—Bob Colacello

I did not want Merlin to retire from the job until I was ready to take hold of it effectively myself …

—Mark Twain

2

: to become effective, established, or popular

The change in the law has not yet taken hold.

… a swath of land that has been spared from lava flows long enough that rich vegetation has had a chance to take hold.

—G. Brad Lewis

… here in central California the French aesthetic has recently taken hold.

—Rebecca Coffey

Examples of take hold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge. —Terri Levien, The Conversation, 25 June 2025

While the shift is most visible abroad, Energy Innovation’s new report Delivering Affordability shows the same economic forces are taking hold across the United States. —Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

After 12 days of missile strikes, air raids, and near-regional catastrophe, a ceasefire has taken hold between Iran, Israel, and the United States. —Jila Andalib, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025

What both men have found is that a funny thing happens when watch lovers get together—eventually, the watch talk fades as a deeper conversation takes hold. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for take hold

• copyhold
• decontrolled
• hundredfold
• manifold
• marigold
• oversold
• petioled
• sevenfold
• stranglehold
• subthreshold
• thousandfold
• uncontrolled