as in grips
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 handholds
That would cut off access to the narrow gaps between train cars where subway surfers use handholds to hoist themselves onto the roof.
—
Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
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
Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handholds
Noun
-
They’re made with durable aluminum alloy and have cork and foam hand grips to keep you comfortable while climbing.—
Anna Fiorentino,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Crews discovered fissures in the bedrock that required repair and struggled to find grips strong enough to hold cars on the steep grade.—
Michael Wells,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Halakhic rulings on divorce, medical emergencies, or conversion involve nuance that no present-day model grasps.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Waterproof cases might have durable clips or clasps.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Zippers and clasps are built to stand up to daily use—mine has even encountered a few rainstorms—without losing shine or functionality.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handholds. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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