hold 1 of 2

verb

ˈhōld How to pronounce hold (audio)
Definition of holdnext
1
as in to grip
to have or keep in one's hands this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder

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2
as in to keep
to continue to have in one's possession or power she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest

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3
as in to think
to have as an opinion "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"

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4
as in to contain
to have within the mysterious chest held an ancient book on magic spells and potions

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5
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted

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6
as in to retain
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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7
as in to accommodate
to make or have room for the couple needed to rent a hall that would hold 300 people

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8
as in to grasp
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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9
as in to consider
to think of in a particular way held to be the best blueberry pies in the state

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10
as in to regulate
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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11
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal held the camera on the actor throughout the scene

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hold

2 of 2

noun

1
as in grip
the act or manner of holding make sure you have a firm hold on the chain saw before you turn it on

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2
as in stronghold
a structure or place from which one can resist attack the ruins of an ancient Roman hold

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3
as in sway
the right or means to command or control others the government has no hold over where we live and work

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4
as in contact
the state or fact of being able to exchange information regarding one's current situation I worry that I won't be able to get hold of you in an emergency

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5
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody upon hearing the guilty verdict, the accused realized that he would lie in that godforsaken hold for the remainder of his life

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6
as in understanding
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something I need to get hold of the situation before planning a course of action

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7
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody a suspected terrorist who was abducted at an airport and put in hold at an undisclosed location

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word hold different from other verbs like it?

The words accommodate and contain are common synonyms of hold. While all three words mean "to have or be capable of having within," hold implies the capacity of containing or the usual or permanent function of containing or keeping.

the bookcase will hold all my textbooks

When is it sensible to use accommodate instead of hold?

The words accommodate and hold are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, accommodate stresses holding without crowding or inconvenience.

the hall can accommodate 500 people

When would contain be a good substitute for hold?

While the synonyms contain and hold are close in meaning, contain implies the actual presence of a specified substance or quantity within something.

the can contains a quart of oil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hold
Verb
With a pending lockout, expiring player contracts and possible retirements, who knows what the future will hold. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 The Florida defense, ranked last the Southeastern Conference, shut down quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns offense, holding Texas (4-2, 1-2) under 300 yards. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
What does the future hold for Spencer Strider in a Braves uniform? — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 All cases involving people charged with breaching it have been put on hold pending the court’s ruling. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold
  1. grip
  2. keep
  3. think
  4. contain
  5. have
  6. retain
  7. accommodate
  8. grasp
Verb
  • The case has gripped Kenya since the discovery of the mass graves.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood condemned the violence gripping Albania.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of grip
Verb
  • Investors are keeping a close eye on the outlook of interest rates, after New York Federal Reserve President John Williams' recent comments put him at odds with the broader market and some other central bank members.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Tajdar Amrohi says that by the time the film was ready for release, his father didn’t have a penny to keep for himself and was deep in debt.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of keep
Verb
  • After writing the first episode of Season 2, Harjo immediately thought of Jones for the part as Lee’s father.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Internally, the company thinks of itself as having the heft of a Lionsgate or even a Sony.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • This post contains spoilers for The Diplomat Season 4, now streaming on Netflix.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers started by making a single, long protein that contained the protease, the sequence it was designed to target, and a fluorescent protein.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of contain
Verb
  • At the Fondation Cartier, people will have free access to them.
    — Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.
    — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of have
Verb
  • More sports news Boxing champion Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a brutal second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s annual business survey, released in September, found that some 72% of respondents reported having difficulty finding and retaining workers, with skill gaps being a notable part of the problem.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of retain
Verb
  • Integrators must adapt the existing platform to accommodate those requirements.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Coming in 2030 will be a proud fusion of iconic Kansas City brands and institutions, enabled by a partnership with Hallmark that starts with razing its headquarters to accommodate the stadium district footprint.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of accommodate
Verb
  • Among the Louvre’s loans is Bathsheba Holding King David’s Letter, from 1654, which depicts the heroine grasping King David’s disastrous summons.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • With self-driving vehicles and even some humanoid robots entering larger-scale production, there’s an increasingly high demand to build AI systems that better grasp how to move about the physical world without barreling into everything around it.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of grasp

Phrases Containing hold

Browse Nearby Words

hokum
hold
hold a brief for
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Cite this Entry

“Hold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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