1
as in ruling
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard
the court's holding was based on an interpretation of the First Amendment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in possession
usually holdings plural
transportable items that one owns
the museum's holdings of ancient manuscripts are among the rarest in the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clutching
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in keeping
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 thinking
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in containing
to have within
the mysterious chest held an ancient book on magic spells and potions
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in having
to keep in one's mind or heart
still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in owning
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
the same family has held this piece of land for over 100 years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in accommodating
to make or have room for
the couple needed to rent a hall that would hold 300 people
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in grasping
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
as in considering
to think of in a particular way
held to be the best blueberry pies in the state
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10
as in controlling
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 aiming
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of holding
News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
While Downtown West is in a holding pattern, that’s not the case elsewhere in San Jose.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Reality Check is a Herald series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
Met director Max Hollein told the New York Times that the merger would significantly expand the Met’s holdings of German and Austrian modernist art.
—News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
While Downtown West is in a holding pattern, that’s not the case elsewhere in San Jose.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Verb
The Chicago Park District is holding an eaglet naming contest.
—Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Reality Check is a Herald series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
Less than two hours after the Supreme Court's ruling was announced, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson released a statement vowing to retry the one-time attorney.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
The ruling meant the tariffs shouldn’t have been imposed and thus were unlawful from the beginning.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The police have been in possession of the same videos as the social workers, yet no charges have been brought against the parents in criminal court.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Cade Cunningham had a triple-double for Detroit (27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), but had turnovers on three straight possessions late that were devastating.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Being middle class comes with a fear of losing a specific sense of safety; the existential quest is finding out if there’s more to life than clutching onto your stuff in anticipatory panic.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
-
Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Here, the Sport+ drive mode does a commendable job of keeping the transmission in the meaty parts of the powerband, while dialing the dampers back to Sport achieves the right balance of body control and compliance on these less-than-perfect road surfaces.—
Bradley Iger,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
-
However, the best way to use this week is to practice a star-hop or two, keeping sessions short and focused.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Shaina Montiel says her mother stills cries thinking about her harrowing experience with hantavirus at age 5, which, according to the CDC, can have a fatality rate up to 38%, depending on the type of syndrome caused by it.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Mathematicians spend most of their time thinking about what’s knowable.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Boxes from the White House, some containing classified material, had been found crammed into a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, next to a toilet and below a crystal chandelier.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Planters containing other trees and perennials, including hazel, hawthorn, field maples, ferns, and grasses, will continue the forest theme through the colonnade to the main entrance.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
More about Richard Glossip's case Glossip is accused of having his boss, Barry Van Treese, an Oklahoma City motel owner, killed in 1997 to keep from being fired for embezzlement.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The Giants’ defense will feel the sting of not having Dexter Lawrence in the middle anymore during this one.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
While Miller and his colleagues note in their study that past efforts to convince gun-owning households with kids to safely store their firearms haven't succeeded, Sathya sees reasons to be optimistic in his own health system.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
12 May 2026
-
Said also faces charges in Hennepin County — one count of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault and one count of owning a machine gun — in connection to the shooting.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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