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

Long before authoritarianism took hold, many Venezuelans felt that the system no longer worked for them. —Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026

Mold can take hold in these areas and continue growing below the surface, even after the visible spots are removed. —Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026

Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026

And as Shaker aesthetic takes hold, the religion’s expression through movement and music returns to film, but with less ecstatic and more refined movements. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026

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