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
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
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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
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Recent Examples of holding
Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Other insurance holdings include Hudson Life, Investors Heritage, Somerset Reinsurance and Neptune Reinsurance.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The Panthers’ defense clamped down on the Saints throughout much of the first half, holding New Orleans to seven points.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
That situation will last a few years, until Queen Creek can start transporting new groundwater from its land holdings in the Harquahala basin, where private equity firms are also buying up land, which will replace its Colorado River water.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Other insurance holdings include Hudson Life, Investors Heritage, Somerset Reinsurance and Neptune Reinsurance.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
Summer brings enormous, heaven-scented blooms that ripen to attractive cones holding bright red seeds.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The Panthers’ defense clamped down on the Saints throughout much of the first half, holding New Orleans to seven points.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
Hours later, an appeals court let the ruling to fully fund SNAP stand.—
NEAL RUBIN,
Freep.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Sauer urged the high court to issue its ruling quickly, noting that it is currently required to use Section 32 funding to send full SNAP benefits by tonight due to McConnell’s order.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Maldives also maintains a complete ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, regardless of age.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The Rainbows have been effective in the red zone, scoring on 97% of their possessions inside the 20-yard line.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd of more than 100 people, many clutching drinks from the open bar, roared in approval.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Ditching the fake blood, the TV star wore a pretty pink prom dress and tiara while clutching a flower bouquet to recreate the chilling scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bure is keeping her faith — and her Christmas crown — shining bright.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Martin legitimately pinned the Saints’ offense on almost every drive in the first half, keeping the game close, even with New Orleans leading at halftime.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Typing becomes editing, not thinking.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And not thinking there were going to be a point of anything.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Look 5 degrees to the lower left of the Pleiades to find the patch of sky containing Uranus.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The recall was initiated because products containing wheat were incorrectly placed into packaging that doesn't list the presence of wheat, according to the FDA.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
There were fires that needed putting out across the team and having Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in form has helped extinguish a number of them.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
He was suspended to begin the 1995 season for cocaine and admitted to having a substance abuse problem.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
India’s new corporate vanguard Increasingly, many of these centers are leading efforts on product engineering, AI model development, and automation strategy — co-owning innovation and intellectual property in the process.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In fact, according to Oxfam's latest findings, the wealthiest 1% currently control 43% of the world’s wealth, while owning more capital than 95% of humanity combined.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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