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
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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
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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
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5
as in having
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 owning
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
as in accommodating
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 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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of holding
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
On Tuesday, investors unloaded at least some of their holdings in these stocks.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Wealthier households’ consumption is holding at the same level established in March this year, while poorer consumers are beginning to spend more.
—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
In it, the Treasury said that Charles had agreed to pay income tax, capital gains taxes for sales of his private holdings and investments, and inheritance tax.
—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
24 June 2026
On Tuesday, investors unloaded at least some of their holdings in these stocks.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Verb
Since then, Williamson, 85, has celebrated the holiday instead of Fourth of July, often holding a barbecue with red Kool-Aid and spending time reflecting on Black history.
—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Wealthier households’ consumption is holding at the same level established in March this year, while poorer consumers are beginning to spend more.
—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
The ruling marks the latest legal blow to the requirement, which was part of an executive order Trump signed in March 2025.
-
The court ruling means that the question will not be on the November ballot even though a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll last week found that 66% of voters surveyed favored it.
Noun
-
Amid the fallout, Honarkar lost possession of most of his properties, including the historic Hotel Laguna, where a public scuffle had broken out in 2023 between his security team and guards working for the partner who wrested control of the landmark.
-
Belgium dominated possession in the first 60 minutes, but Iran still had a strong counterattack that was repeatedly thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who matched Beiranvand's results, if not his theatricality.
Verb
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The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
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Scotland’s Tartan Army, thousands strong in kilts and clutching replicas of the gold World Cup Trophy, marched into Miami ahead of Wednesday evening’s World Cup game against Brazil at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Verb
-
Master beekeeper Nicole Palladino is keeping the rooftop at the Westfield Century City shopping center buzzing with activity, as about 30,000 bees work to make honey.
-
In line with existing sleep hygiene guidelines, Winter suggests keeping your bedroom between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Verb
-
For his part, Joe doesn’t seem to be thinking about his issues with Nathan half as much as Nathan or Gael are.
-
The crash was not an accident, Adams said, because Pino violated several navigational rules — and piloted the boat without thinking about the well-being of his wife, daughter and the 11 girls on the boat.
Verb
-
Nail technicians in salons across the continent need to dispose of polishes containing trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, or TPO, and switch to alternatives.
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Last month, police raided the teen’s home on Creekside Drive, seizing $1,300 in cash and a box containing packages of edible cannabis products, which were similar to what the girl allegedly ingested, authorities said.
Verb
-
Despite appearing in just 13 games this season due to injury and having a negative wins above replacement value, per Baseball Reference, Kirk received 1,488,788 votes and second place among AL catchers.
-
With the games now having the kind of stakes that Thursday’s contest lacked, that leaky defense – especially in crunch time toward the end of matches – is the possible Achilles heel for this team.
Verb
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Dumont, whose professional background is in owning and operating casinos, is gambling that his franchise can use a 34-year-old guard who is coming off another major injury whose forte is surreal quickness and dribble-drive penetration as the primary complement to Cooper Flagg.
-
The museum began with Grant’s lifelong dream of owning an actual Gremlin puppet.
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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