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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of holding
Rick Unser, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Eli Manning, a former teammate of Strahan’s, also held preliminary conversations about investing, but the two-time Super Bowl champ decided not to pursue due to conflicts with his other business holdings.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
The Sounders had faced world-class players earlier in the summer, holding their own in the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético and Botafogo.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Noun
Transparency Challenges – Disclosures around pricing, performance and underlying holdings can be limited, creating barriers to fully assessing risk and suitability — especially when compared to public market investments.
—Rick Unser, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Eli Manning, a former teammate of Strahan’s, also held preliminary conversations about investing, but the two-time Super Bowl champ decided not to pursue due to conflicts with his other business holdings.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
The Sounders had faced world-class players earlier in the summer, holding their own in the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético and Botafogo.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding
Noun
-
Google to challenge order Google criticized the ruling and plans to appeal.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Reporting on the ruling noted the panel did not identify who applied the fatal pressure or establish a definitive motive.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, the offense wasn’t flowing, and the unit had just given an extra possession to the Jaguars with an interception that led to a touchdown.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
During more than two hours of testimony, journalist Michael Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Harry clutching a red-hot doorknob, Marv taking a paint can to the face — right up to the gruesome sound effect, then had the music stand down for the sizzling or thwacking payoff.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Some are fantastical – think Shrimp Jesus – and some are believable at a quick glance – remember the little girl clutching a puppy in a boat during a flood?—
Adam Nemeroff,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But after keeping Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker out of Sunday’s lineup, Chicago then watched closer Daniel Palencia blow the save in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
If the number of children is decreasing, keeping empty facilities isn’t free.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
He is known as a good, low-maintenance type and someone who spends time thinking about his own game.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Homicidal ideation involves thinking about or considering harming or killing other people.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In February, a fire destroyed a South Korean budget carrier Air Busan plane, which subsequently prohibited carry-on luggage containing portable chargers from being stored in overhead bins.—
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
On DSPs and at digital retailers, the 23 new songs merely comprise disc one of Swag II, with a second disc also containing the 21 songs originally released as Swag the First.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some common symptoms include the need to pee more frequently, feeling extremely thirsty, having dry and itchy skin, and getting dark, velvety patches on the skin.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Despite having iconic roles on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, this is Howard's first-ever Emmy nomination for acting.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Consent of the owning party is a cardinal rule that Fina didn't follow.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Hawley-Peters Senate bill, branded the HONEST Act, would prohibit lawmakers, their spouses, and dependents from owning or trading individual stocks, with a 180-day deadline to sell off any holdings.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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