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

Not your parents’ investments A crop of risk-on trades have gained followings since the pandemic took hold of society just over five years ago. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025

Once the idea takes hold that health guidance is shaped by politics rather than evidence, everything becomes suspect. —Dr. Craig Spencer, Time, 23 Sep. 2025

Now that Democrats can no longer avoid the sort of internal jostling that has distracted the GOP, there’s a bit of schadenfreude taking hold. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Incentives are often the hidden lever behind whether transformation efforts take hold or fade out. —Daniel Schmeltz, Fortune, 22 Sep. 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