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

Today, while some families have reached a fragile equilibrium, mental health professionals warn there is a slow-moving crisis taking hold as a result of the collective trauma that people here endured. —Katia Riddle, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025

Consumers could start seeing price increases within weeks of policy changes, as supply-and-demand dynamics take hold. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025

Despite the data, Republican complaints of censorship began to take hold as a political narrative and also in Silicon Valley. —Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2025

As performance erosion takes hold, many chief human resources officers (CHROs) remain stuck in the past. —Ryan Wong, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1