as in assistance
patient and attentive guidance encouragement, or instruction
New computer users often require a good deal of hand-holding.
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Recent Examples of hand-holding
The service Don't expect any hand-holding here.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
That balance is always important, between difficulty and hand-holding.
—Chris Plante, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Cross-train staff, delegate decision making early, and build a leadership layer that doesn’t need hand-holding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
That balance is always important, between difficulty and hand-holding.
—Chris Plante, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Ratner captures lots of hand-holding, little connection.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
OpenAI is now offering agents that are more about automating workflows—logging into applications, executing tasks, and managing tasks without much human hand-holding.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
And in the sweetest bit of romance so far, Lady Bridgerton herself seems one step closer to acting on her attraction to Lady Danbury's brother Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), with the two sharing a (scandalous) moment of hand-holding at the ball.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s no spoon-feeding or hand-holding.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Cross-train staff, delegate decision making early, and build a leadership layer that doesn’t need hand-holding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-holding
Noun
-
The bill carves out a number of exceptions, including for people providing medical assistance or helping law enforcement.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Features like heart rate sensing and hearing assistance add a layer of everyday usefulness, and the seamless Bluetooth pairing keeps things simple across devices.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Plan well in advance The buzz is big — and few Charlotte restaurant openings have gotten this much attention recently.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Thankfully, having children is not a job requirement, but your inner child will rejoice at all the attention.—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The festival is funded in part by the city of Charlotte, with additional support from the Hispanic Federation.—
Adam Bell
April 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
-
With French support all but evaporated, organizers scramble for alternative sources.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Harmon was the biggest playmaker, leading the Longhorns with 13 assists.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With the help of journalist Gerrick Kennedy, the memoir details Brandy's meteoric rise to fame as a young teen while volleying ambition, exhaustion and self-doubt, moving through a predatory and tormenting industry and being misunderstood in the public eye.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Close partnerships of any sort aren’t always split 50/50, of course — everyone, including you, needs a little extra help sometimes.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After a 15-minute service, she was taken to the cemetery while her husband followed in the funeral car.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Wilson, who was born in Jamaica and lived in North Lauderdale, was a religious man who put effort into his relationships and was willing to right his wrongs, said those attending the service.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-holding. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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