to hold
- verb
- /hoʊld/
- The study also showed that girls hold more positive attitudes than males towards the language and its use.
- hold hostage
- hold captive
- hold still
But the glue that holds you in place is the story.
- But the glue that holds you in place is the story.
- If we don't take precautions, they will hold us by the throat.
- Criminals are ruthless and and they need cops to hold them at Bay.
Examples
-
Again, this gives them a degree of power within the group while holding them accountable.
Academic text (2013) -
My men can hold them.
-
All right, so I want you to hold it right there.
-
Trying to hold me back.
-
She's being held in custody.
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For Dante's benefit, they are held still while he speaks to them.
Academic text (2011) -
And they can't restrain him and hold him there, right.
-
Another major obstacle is the sway that local officials continue to hold over the courts.
Academic text (2008) -
Malaysia's indigenes face a steep uphill battle to hold on to their traditional lands and resources.
Academic text (2011) -
The teacher had to hold the noisy students back until they calmed down.
Synonyms
To protect someone or something from harm
To have power over people, things, or situations
To control how much or how often something happens
To become stiff and unable to move a part of the body
To keep something dangerous from spreading or getting worse
To make someone stay in one place or situation
Keep someone or something within limits, for example in a small space
Stop someone or something from moving forward
To keep something within set limits, for example in a room or a topic
Stop something from growing or spreading
Hold a person or thing so it cannot move freely
To limit or control something to stop it getting worse
To limit what someone can do or how they can act
To hold something inside so it does not escape
To keep someone or something under control, for example by limiting spending
To restrain someone with chains or limit their freedom
To make something less strong or intense
To keep something low and stop it from getting bigger
Keep something or someone in place and still
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To feel angry at someone for something they did in the past that hurt you
- Informal
Make someone do what they promised or take responsibility by pressuring them
Ask anyone who objects to speak now or be silent forever
- Informal
To have the only responsibility for a hard problem when others avoid it
- Slang
A joking request to someone to hold your drink before doing something daring
- Slang
A joking way to say you will try something daring or foolish after someone else does
To support two opposite sides at the same time to please both
Phrasal Verbs
- Specialized
To have the right given by the government to make or sell an invention
Compounds
- NSFW
A tight arm around someone's neck from behind to stop them moving or make them pass out
- Jargon
A position where someone wraps their legs around an opponent's body or head and presses their feet together to squeeze
- Jargon
A wrestler wraps their legs around someone's body or head and squeezes them with the feet
How Restrained
- Formal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hold goes back to Old English healdan, meaning 'to keep' or 'restrain', so to hold your anger or your tongue is to 'keep' it under control.