1
as in clutched
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retained
to continue to have in one's possession or power
she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in believed
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
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4
5
as in had
to keep in one's mind or heart
still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in owned
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
the same family has held this piece of land for over 100 years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in grasped
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
please hold my arm on these slippery stairs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
10
as in controlled
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
we managed to hold our laughter until we got outside hold your temper until you hear the whole story
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in aimed
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
held the camera on the actor throughout the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of held
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
—
Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025
Mack held 35 actress and five producer credits during her career, according to the statement posted to CaringBridge.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
That’s different from another type of equity offering held by the NFL.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
One of the duties Lelakes has held at the YMCA is overseeing facilities across the county of San Diego for maintenance and capital improvement projects.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The docuseries will be available to stream beginning Thursday on Prime Video, but an early screening of the second episode was held Monday for a collection of friends, family, business associates and media.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
During 9/11, people walked down the stairs in single file and held the door open for each other.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025
Mack held 35 actress and five producer credits during her career, according to the statement posted to CaringBridge.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
That’s different from another type of equity offering held by the NFL.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
One of the duties Lelakes has held at the YMCA is overseeing facilities across the county of San Diego for maintenance and capital improvement projects.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The docuseries will be available to stream beginning Thursday on Prime Video, but an early screening of the second episode was held Monday for a collection of friends, family, business associates and media.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
During 9/11, people walked down the stairs in single file and held the door open for each other.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held
Verb
-
Aunt Fely clutched her chest when my mother told her of Nora’s death.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
When Contributing Editor Sheri Castle revealed that the secret to crystal clear sweet tea was a teaspoon of baking soda, some Southern Living readers clutched their pearls in disbelief.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The home was converted into apartments in 1951 but retained some of the original grandeur that probably wooed the Morgan clan, too (high ceilings and a wood-burning fireplace, in particular).—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Bangladesh retained the same side for the third successive game, keeping faith in its three-man pace attack — Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Mustafizur Rahman.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pair are believed to have been found guilty in an Iranian court of spying on behalf of both France and Israel and given long prison sentences, according to the BBC.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
On Thursday, Ayman Ghazali waited in his car outside Temple Israel, near Detroit, for about two hours with a rifle, commercial grade fireworks and jugs of liquid believed to be gasoline, before crashing into the building full of dozens of children, according to authorities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The oldest ice contained in Weißseespitze dates back roughly 6,000 years to the mid-Holocene, a warm period following the close of the last global ice age.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The object, which also contained nuts and bolts, extinguished itself without harming anyone.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In IconArrows pointing outwards CNBC Europe Here’s a look at some of the countries that have had their vessels go through the critical energy route since the war began.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Rookie center Maxime Raynaud had a career-high 32 points and nine rebounds for the Kings (18-52), who had won four of their last five games.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are also high-street shops like Zara and Mango on your doorstep, as well as independent local stalwarts like Can Vinyes, one of the oldest handmade basket shops on the island, owned by a tiny old couple.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
In January, Polymarket, Kalshi’s main rival, went all in on the Golden Globes (which is owned by Penske Media Corporation, which also owns Variety).—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Uber’s website says service animals must be accommodated in compliance with applicable accessibility laws and the company’s service animal policy, which says there are no exceptions due to allergies, religious objections, or a fear of animals.—
Steve Karnowski,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Writers accommodated the skimmer.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Godoy only fully grasped the answer before shooting Season 2.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Marcus Smart and Austin Reaves earned a pair of technical fouls in the second quarter after Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown sent an elbow into Smart’s face on his way to the rim as Boston grasped a 36-33 lead.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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