as in grip
the act or manner of holding
she tried to maintain her tight handhold on the umbrella as the wind picked up
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Recent Examples of handhold
Instead of using natural handholds in the rock, via ferrata climbers move almost exclusively using artificial hardware drilled into the rock face, such as chains, cables, bridges, and ladders, and are attached to these fixtures via a tether and harness at all times.
—
Owen Clarke, Outside, 29 Sep. 2025
The entire playground has a spongy surface; there is specialized seating and handholds.
—Yadira Sanchez Olson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Aesthetically, the two varieties are traditional, bulky grip handles that attach to either side of the handhold and the flap-out style that connect on only one side.
—New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
The current suits are also optimized for moving about in zero gravity using handholds, so their hip, waist, and knee joints aren’t particularly flexible.
—Rachel Courtland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2015
See All Example Sentences for handhold
Owen Clarke, Outside, 29 Sep. 2025
The entire playground has a spongy surface; there is specialized seating and handholds.
—Yadira Sanchez Olson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Aesthetically, the two varieties are traditional, bulky grip handles that attach to either side of the handhold and the flap-out style that connect on only one side.
—New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
The current suits are also optimized for moving about in zero gravity using handholds, so their hip, waist, and knee joints aren’t particularly flexible.
—Rachel Courtland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2015
See All Example Sentences for handhold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handhold
Noun
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But in many areas beyond the capital region, even a fragile peace is out of reach, and the grip of the war is tightening.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
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Berlin — As one European nationalist party saw its grip on power end abruptly in Hungary over the weekend, another was riding a wave of popularity that is strengthening its hold on German politics.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The duo got closer and closer to everyone involved, hoping to garner enough evidence to bring in the police and free the women and kids from Bateman's grasp.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
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The third was a two-out double Oneil Cruz grounded just inside the bag and just beyond Machado’s grasp that scored both runners.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handhold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handhold. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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