as in assistance
patient and attentive guidance encouragement, or instruction
New computer users often require a good deal of hand-holding.
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Recent Examples of hand-holding
That balance is always important, between difficulty and hand-holding.
—
Chris Plante, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Cross-train staff, delegate decision making early, and build a leadership layer that doesn’t need hand-holding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
In the middle of the episode, the pop superstar — who demonstrated visible PDA with Travis, 35, throughout the podcast's two-hour duration (kissing, hand-holding and all) — discussed her obsession with numerology, particularly her fascination with the number 13.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Chris Plante, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Cross-train staff, delegate decision making early, and build a leadership layer that doesn’t need hand-holding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
In the middle of the episode, the pop superstar — who demonstrated visible PDA with Travis, 35, throughout the podcast's two-hour duration (kissing, hand-holding and all) — discussed her obsession with numerology, particularly her fascination with the number 13.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-holding
Noun
-
Accessibility The property is constructed with ramps and elevators to accommodate guests who may require special assistance in main buildings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Travelers are advised to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible for information on rebooking and refunds, though passengers are reporting difficulties getting assistance because of high caller volumes.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Market attention has focused on whether the conflict will widen to other oil-producing countries in the region.—
DAVID McHUGH,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Her death increased attention and support for the bill, although the Session app the teen used likely wouldn’t meet the threshold to be restricted.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The figures would suggest some support among the US public for going after Iran’s nuclear program, though other polling suggests most Americans disapprove of the strikes and thought the administration should have given diplomacy more of a shot.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This cosmic support guides your efforts to find a workable rhythm to your daily duties at home.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Messi, who had missed three previous Inter Miami games in Orlando since joining the club, had a pair of brilliant goals and an assist after halftime as Miami scored four unanswered goals.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Fudd is also averaging career bests in assists and steals.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has lobbied world leaders for help reuniting families.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Filmed over 20 days, together with some help from Ghana’s navy who appear as fishermen, the feature originated from a short Martinson made in response to the clearing of Jamestown’s fishing community for a new seaport.—
Thinus Ferreira,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some counties have noticed the major increase through their mosquito traps or from calls for service regarding the flying pests.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Hospital Insurance Trust Fund pays for health care services at hospitals and nursing homes, among other categories.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-holding. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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