take hold

idiomatic phrase

1

: to grasp, grip, or seize something

took hold and hung on tight

—often used with of

take hold of the railing

… she took hold of his arm with both her hands, and looked up eagerly—oh, with such terrible eagerness!—into his face.

—Anthony Trollope

—often used figuratively

As word of the subpoenas spread … confusion and hysteria took hold of the social set …

—Bob Colacello

I did not want Merlin to retire from the job until I was ready to take hold of it effectively myself …

—Mark Twain

2

: to become effective, established, or popular

The change in the law has not yet taken hold.

… a swath of land that has been spared from lava flows long enough that rich vegetation has had a chance to take hold.

—G. Brad Lewis

… here in central California the French aesthetic has recently taken hold.

—Rebecca Coffey

Examples of take hold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group Both share a passion for haunted houses that took hold in childhood. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024

After the recession took hold and the business faltered, Valley bought the company back to reposition it as a direct-to-consumer brand and launched an e-commerce business Alvin Valley Direct. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 31 Oct. 2024

As the beginnings of Trumpism began to take hold, horror movies served as calls to reclaim history, space and identity. —Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024

But once Darci's mysterious symptoms took hold so suddenly and Darci became a shell of her former self, Dana began a quest to find an effective treatment. —Diane Herbst, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1