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
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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
-
Alessandro clutched his dad tightly.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The pair’s snow boots tramped the nearly week-old Kansas City snow, two candles clutched in their small hands.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The university subsequently retained the law firm Perkins Coie to conduct an independent investigation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Data is collected deliberately, retained indefinitely, enriched with other datasets and analyzed by increasingly powerful AI systems.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At a moment of uncertainty and pessimism, Kaleidoscope believed there was a gap in the market and hunger among advertisers for quality content about the future backed by journalistic rigor.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
There are a series of unstable, radioactive ruthenium isotopes believed to have a triaxial shape, similar to an almond or coffee bean, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The warehouse contained specialized food intended for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women who were malnourished.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The researchers presented toddlers with elaborate puzzle contraptions that contained prizes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Princess Mette-Marit Epstein had dozens of email exchanges with Mette-Marit, the Crown Princess of Norway, as recently as 2014.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The 83-year-old senator has had multiple health issues over the past few years, including publicly freezing during a press conference in 2023 and falling ahead of a Senate vote in October 2025.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There was a dispute as to whether Whigham Place LLC was owned by Campbell or by a company called Clairise Court LLC which Campbell owned.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Signaling sustained and robust demand for fine jewelry amid a wider luxury lull, a Bulgari brooch once owned by Audrey Hepburn sold for 355,600 euros, or about $425,000, at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris, nearly six times its high estimate following fierce bidding among four would-be buyers.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This increased the number of cases and product that could be accommodated on each pallet.—
Ken Bowles,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The vehicle accommodated one adult rider, with space for 160 liters of cargo or an optional child seat behind the main seat.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Multiple responders then grasped the canine by the neck and back to lift it onboard, during which the dog could be heard slightly whimpering.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Kirk grasped how the internet has changed America, but his death has demonstrated—and, disturbingly, may have resulted from—the fundamentally anarchic nature of those changes.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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