n. 25B6; verb
she held a suitcase : CLASP, clutch, grasp, grip, clench, cling to, hold on to; carry, bear.
I wanted to hold her : EMBRACE, hug, clasp, cradle, enfold, squeeze, fold in one's arms.
do you hold a driving licence? : POSSESS, have, own, bear, carry, have to one's name.
the branch held my weight : SUPPORT, bear, carry, take, keep up, sustain, prop up, shore up.
the police were holding him : DETAIN, hold in custody, imprison, lock up, put behind bars, put in prison, put in jail, incarcerate, keep under lock and key, confine, intern; informal put away, put inside.
try to hold the audience's attention : MAINTAIN, keep, occupy, engross, absorb, interest, captivate, fascinate, enthral, rivet; engage, catch, capture, arrest.
he held a senior post : OCCUPY, have, fill; informal hold down.
the tank held 250 gallons : TAKE, contain, accommodate, fit; have a capacity of, have room for.
the court held that there was no evidence : MAINTAIN, consider, take the view, believe, think, feel, deem, be of the opinion; judge, rule, decide; informal reckon; formal opine.
let's hope the weather holds : PERSIST, continue, carry on, go on, hold out, keep up, last, endure, stay, remain.
the offer still holds : BE AVAILABLE, be valid, hold good, stand, apply, remain, exist, be the case, be in force, be in effect.
they held a meeting : CONVENE, call, summon; conduct, have, organize, run; formal convoke.
release, lose, end.
25B6; noun
she kept a hold on my hand : GRIP, grasp, clasp, clutch.
Tom had a hold over his father : INFLUENCE, power, control, dominance, authority, leverage, sway, mastery.
the military tightened their hold on the capital : CONTROL, grip, power, stranglehold, dominion, authority.
25A0; get hold of (informal)
I just can't get hold of saffron : OBTAIN, acquire, get, find, come by, pick up, procure; buy, purchase; informal get one's hands on.
I'll try to get hold of Mark : CONTACT, get in touch with, communicate with, make contact with, reach, notify; phone, call, speak to, talk to; Brit. ring (up), get on to.
25A0; hold back HESITATE, pause, stop oneself, desist, forbear.
25A0; hold someone back HINDER, hamper, impede, obstruct, check, curb, block, thwart, baulk, hamstring, restrain, frustrate, stand in someone's way.
25A0; hold something back
Jane held back the tears : SUPPRESS, fight back, choke back, stifle, smother, subdue, rein in, repress, curb, control, keep a tight rein on; informal keep a/the lid on.
don't hold anything back from me : WITHHOLD, hide, conceal, keep secret, keep hidden, keep quiet about, hush up; informal sit on, keep under one's hat.
25A0; hold someone/something dear CHERISH, treasure, prize, appreciate, value highly, care for/about, set great store by; informal put on a pedestal.
25A0; hold someone down OPPRESS, repress, suppress, subdue, subjugate, keep down, keep under, tyrannize, dominate.
25A0; hold something down
they will hold down inflation : KEEP DOWN, keep low, freeze, fix.
(informal) she held down two jobs : OCCUPY, hold, have, do, fill.
25A0; hold forth SPEAK AT LENGTH, talk at length, go on, sound off; declaim, spout, pontificate, orate, preach, sermonize; informal speechify, preachify, drone on.
25A0; hold off the rain held off : STAY AWAY, keep off, not come.
25A0; hold something off RESIST, repel, repulse, rebuff, parry, deflect, fend off, stave off, ward off, keep at bay.
25A0; hold on
hold on a minute : WAIT (A MINUTE), just a moment, just a second; stay here, stay put; hold the line; informal hang on, sit tight, hold your horses; Brit. informal hang about.
if only they could hold on a while : KEEP GOING, persevere, survive, last, continue, struggle on, carry on, go on, hold out, see it through, stay the course; informal soldier on, stick at it, hang in there.
25A0; hold on to
he held on to the chair : CLUTCH, hold, hang on to, clasp, grasp, grip, cling to.
they can't hold on to their staff : RETAIN, keep, hang on to.
25A0; hold one's own . See own .
25A0; hold out
we held out against the attacks : RESIST, withstand, hold off, fight off, fend off, keep off, keep at bay, stand up to, stand firm against.
our supplies will hold out : LAST, remain, be extant, continue.
25A0; hold something out EXTEND, proffer, offer, present; outstretch, reach out, stretch out, put out.
25A0; hold something over POSTPONE, put off, put back, delay, defer, suspend, shelve, hold in abeyance; N. Amer. put over, table, take a rain check on; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, put in cold storage, mothball.
25A0; hold up the argument doesn't hold up : BE CONVINCING, be logical, hold water, bear examination, be sound.
25A0; hold something up
they held up the trophy : DISPLAY, hold aloft, exhibit, show (off), flourish, brandish; informal flash.
concrete pillars hold up the bridge : SUPPORT, hold, bear, carry, take, keep up, prop up, shore up, buttress.
our flight was held up for hours : DELAY, detain, make late, set back, keep back, retard, slow up.
a lack of cash has held up progress : OBSTRUCT, impede, hinder, hamper, inhibit, baulk, thwart, curb, hamstring, frustrate, foil, interfere with, stop; Brit. throw a spanner in the works of; informal stymie.
a raider held up the bank : ROB; informal stick up, mug.
25A0; hold water . See water .
25A0; hold with APPROVE OF, agree with, be in favour of, endorse, accept, countenance, support, subscribe to, give one's blessing to, take kindly to; informal stand for; Brit. informal be doing with.