as in grips
the act or manner of holding
she tried to maintain her tight handhold on the umbrella as the wind picked up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handholds
The other was the rescue of two women who cliffed out on the famous Via Ferrata in Telluride where there are cables and handholds along with iron rungs.
—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In several photos and videos posted on social media, the 30-year-old can be seen descending the sheer face of the crater and gripping handholds while performing various acrobatic tricks before falling into the volcanic waters below.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
The rock wall offered no handholds, and the waves might easily have beaten us unconscious on the rocks.
—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Making his way blindly back around the jagged metal shard, moving along the side of the Gemini—finding the handholds and Velcro and the ship’s aft cable without the benefit of vision, all the while battling to keep his heart rate under control—was no small thing.
—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 Nov. 2025
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
The steep route is laced with a via Ferrata—the system, invented in the Dolomites, of metal handholds, footholds, and cables that climbers can clip into and follow all the way up.
—
Darrell Hartman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Aug. 2024
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In several photos and videos posted on social media, the 30-year-old can be seen descending the sheer face of the crater and gripping handholds while performing various acrobatic tricks before falling into the volcanic waters below.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
The rock wall offered no handholds, and the waves might easily have beaten us unconscious on the rocks.
—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Making his way blindly back around the jagged metal shard, moving along the side of the Gemini—finding the handholds and Velcro and the ship’s aft cable without the benefit of vision, all the while battling to keep his heart rate under control—was no small thing.
—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 Nov. 2025
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
The steep route is laced with a via Ferrata—the system, invented in the Dolomites, of metal handholds, footholds, and cables that climbers can clip into and follow all the way up.
—
Darrell Hartman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handholds
Noun
-
The loudest crash of gravitational waves ever heard has offered us insight into event horizons, the boundaries beyond which nothing can escape the grips of black holes.
-
For me, the purpose of art is to come to grips with the demons of the past, present, and future; to give form to chaos; to enable us to process fear; and to conceive of a different, more humane future.
Noun
-
Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.
-
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.
Noun
-
Check for metal clasps, which can rust.
-
There were old family photos that needed restoring and jewelry awaiting work like restringing beads or replacing clasps.
Cite this Entry
“Handholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handholds. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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