1
as in grips
to have or keep in one's hands
this casserole dish is too hot to hold, so grab a potholder
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2
as in retains
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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3
as in thinks
to have as an opinion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
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4
5
as in has
to keep in one's mind or heart
still held her close to his heart, though they had long parted
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6
as in owns
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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7
8
as in grasps
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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9
10
as in regulates
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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11
as in aims
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
held the camera on the actor throughout the scene
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1
as in clasps
the act or manner of holding
make sure you have a firm hold on the chain saw before you turn it on
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2
as in strongholds
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the ruins of an ancient Roman hold
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3
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others
the government has no hold over where we live and work
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4
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
upon hearing the guilty verdict, the accused realized that he would lie in that godforsaken hold for the remainder of his life
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5
as in understandings
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something
I need to get hold of the situation before planning a course of action
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6
as in imprisonments
the state of being held in lawful custody
a suspected terrorist who was abducted at an airport and put in hold at an undisclosed location
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of holds
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 4 Jan. 2025
The upper level holds a bonus room, loft and three more bedrooms while the lower level comprises a large recreation room, home movie theater, a wine cellar and guest suite.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 4 Jan. 2025
Kelly holds a political science degree from Wichita State University.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the late Burt Bacharach holds the record as the oldest person to play Glastonbury.
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
She is also shown peeking through the window, as the man holds one of the blind panels up at the pup's eye level.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, the team has recently regained momentum and currently holds third place in the Central Division with a 23-15-0 record.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
After spending Thursday trying to sway Republican holdouts to back his bid to retain the speaker's gavel, Mike Johnson's future could still come down to a single GOP vote Friday when House holds elects a new leader as the 119th Congress begins.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
High-speed video of experiments on a robotic hula hooper, whose hourglass form holds the hoop up and in place.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
Wavy is between straight and curly, holds hairstyles well, and has big curls and waves from roots to ends.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 4 Jan. 2025
The upper level holds a bonus room, loft and three more bedrooms while the lower level comprises a large recreation room, home movie theater, a wine cellar and guest suite.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 4 Jan. 2025
Kelly holds a political science degree from Wichita State University.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the late Burt Bacharach holds the record as the oldest person to play Glastonbury.
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
She is also shown peeking through the window, as the man holds one of the blind panels up at the pup's eye level.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, the team has recently regained momentum and currently holds third place in the Central Division with a 23-15-0 record.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
After spending Thursday trying to sway Republican holdouts to back his bid to retain the speaker's gavel, Mike Johnson's future could still come down to a single GOP vote Friday when House holds elects a new leader as the 119th Congress begins.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
High-speed video of experiments on a robotic hula hooper, whose hourglass form holds the hoop up and in place.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds
Verb
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He will not be traded, in my mind, unless Anaheim retains half of his remaining salary.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
26 Dec. 2024
-
In addition, artificial turf retains heat, often reaching temperatures of 150-180 degrees Fahrenheit on warm, sunny days.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes,
22 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The guess here is that this will all unravel much faster than anyone currently thinks, leaving the country, and its new government, adrift and voters counting the days to the midterm elections.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024
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Prasad, for instance, thinks there’s a kind of egalitarianism that’s inherent in English and missing from its Indian alternatives.—
Manvir Singh,
The New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Products, like Latisse—which contains an ingredient called Prostaglandin—were specially formulated to help lashes grow long.—
Lorena Meouchi,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2024
-
But the problem, experts say, is that sewage today contains a host of chemicals, including PFAS, generated by businesses, factories and homes.—
Hiroko Tabuchi,
New York Times,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The master plan accommodates for a one meter rise in sea level over the next hundred years, which led to the building-on-stilts design of the main residential building.—
Amy Rose Dobson,
Forbes,
22 Dec. 2024
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The facility accommodates male and female inmates across various security levels and primarily houses those awaiting trial, as well as some inmates serving short sentences.—
Erin Keller,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And while the boxing is kinetically directed, Morrison grasps that the movie’s fiercest stands are taken outside the ring, when Claressa — faced with tough choices about her future — asserts herself to the people who need to hear it.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2024
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Soaring crime Meanwhile, there’s no sign that Thao grasps the full significance of, and economic fallout from, the city’s crime, which surged last year to levels far higher than at any time in the past two decades.—
East Bay Times editorial,
The Mercury News,
10 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Scott, who considers Stiller both his boss and a friend, justified the show’s painstaking development process as necessary for quality control.—
Rachel Syme,
The New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2024
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The Philippines considers karaoke a national pastime, and the people around you are constantly crooning into their Magic Sing microphones or portable karaoke machines.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Like other Gazans, many Christians in the enclave say their lives have long been overshadowed by a cycle of wars with Israel and an Israeli-Egyptian blockade that tightly regulates travel and commerce.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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The Federal Aviation Administration regulates drones and light shows and permitted the Holiday Drone Show at Lake Eola on Saturday.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Hezbollah’s role as chief deterrent to Israel for Iran, however, now seems to feature little in Israeli calculations, after continued pummeling of Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.—
Scott Peterson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
11 Dec. 2024
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The fall of Homs gave insurgents control over Syria's strategic heartland and key highway crossroads, severing Damascus from Assad's coastal strongholds of Latakia and Tartus, home to Russian military bases.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near holds
Cite this Entry
“Holds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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