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
In 2018, the two of them sold their booking agency part of their company to Paradigm Talent Agency (now The-Team), while continuing to hold onto the management division. — Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 With an $18 million production budget, Out of the Further holds a 60 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 percent audience score. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
Deutsche downgrades Novo Nordisk to sell from hold Deutsche cited a slew of negative catalysts for the rating change. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Perdomo is also on an immigration hold, according to jail records. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 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
  • It's got two arms with claws that can grip things and lift a couple of pounds each, and uses LiDAR and cameras to help get around your home.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Mercyenforcer grips the handle of his light in his bare hand to look into my other eye.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of grip
Verb
  • The fewer than 200 attendees at last week’s semi-secret session in the museum’s intimate Clive Davis Theater had done a good job of helping keep the nature of the performance under wraps until now.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Because something unexpected could impact your money or your possession, keep your eyes open!
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of keep
Verb
  • And think about Afghanistan as well, a huge military advantage there, but as US forces were finally being pulled out of there, the Taliban were once again taking control.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Two workers at Germany's Frankfurt airport who caught malaria from a mosquito thought to have arrived on a plane have died, the city's health authority said this week.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • The filing says a witness reported seeing a gray GMC Denali towing a box trailer containing people, including children.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Hugging Face’s, meanwhile, is a few pages shorter but contains specific lines of code and evidence from its systems about what happened.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of contain
Verb
  • And some of the outlook may have less to do with the immediate issues and more about life stage.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Staff come from all over the globe, and have extensive top-level international hospitality experience.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of have
Verb
  • Conversely, someone with a BMI in the normal range could have lost considerable muscle while retaining excess body fat.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • These were followed by black- and silver-dial models retaining the dual-color bezel.
    — Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of retain
Verb
  • Intended to accommodate a predominantly residential urban coastal development pattern in areas that can support additional height and intensity while improving the provision of neighborhood commercial uses.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
  • In Ellington, there are some departments that still work five days, and some work a half day on Fridays to accommodate programs.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of accommodate
Verb
  • Twain was inspired to publish the ambitious Library of American Literature with 1,700 selections by 500 authors in eleven volumes, but failed to grasp the perilous economics of selling such a gargantuan series by subscription.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond the headlines lies a more basic confusion that even most researchers fail to grasp — clinical reasoning and model reasoning are not the same thing.
    — Arya Rao, STAT, 19 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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