v. 1 grasp, grip, clasp, seize, clutch, keep; carry, Colloq hang on to She asked me to hold the baby for just a minute while she bought her railway ticket 2 hug, embrace, clasp, cradle, clench, clutch, enfold He held me in his arms briefly before the guards led him into the quad 3 maintain, keep, put Hold up your hands and kick the gun over here to me 4 maintain, keep, sustain, absorb, occupy, engage, involve, engross, monopolize You hold his attention while I try to get round behind him 5 confine, restrain, detain, contain, coop up Even a strait-jacket and chains couldn't hold Houdini 6 imprison, detain, confine, place into custody, put behind bars, jail He is being held overnight for questioning 7 believe, deem, judge, consider, regard, look on or upon, maintain, think, esteem, take, assume What do you hold to be important in life? Father holds me responsible for every little dent in his car 8 accommodate, support, carry That little nail won't hold this picture 9 contain, include, comprise This suitcase holds everything I own in the world 10 call, convene, assemble, convoke; run, conduct, engage in, participate in, have, carry on, preside over, officiate at The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, at noon 11 apply, hold good, be in effect or in force, stand or hold up, hold or prove or be true, be the case, function, operate, be or remain or prove valid or relevant or applicable or operative, Colloq hold water, wash What may be in order for Manchester may not necessarily hold for another city 12 have, possess She holds two engineering degrees He was holding four aces. 13 remain or keep (fast), stay, stick Screws are needed here - nails won't hold 14 hold back. a restrain, repress, suppress, curb, inhibit, control, check, keep back, hinder Many reasons hold me back from telling you what I think b withhold, reserve, deny, keep back, refuse We ought to hold back payment till the work is completed 15 hold down. a control, restrain, check; reduce, diminish We must hold down inflation b keep, maintain, manage He has to hold down two jobs to pay all the bills 16 hold forth. a Often, hold forth on or upon. lecture (on), declaim, harangue, preach (on or about), orate, sermonize (on), discourse (on), speechify (on or about), expatiate or expand on or upon, Colloq go on (about), Brit rabbit or natter or witter on (about) As usual, Pinckley endlessly held forth on his pet subject, fishing b hold out, offer, proffer, tender, submit, advance, propose, propound, hold out, extend The company has held forth a profit-sharing plan that we cannot refuse 17 hold in. a control, curb, check, hold back, restrain, contain I could hold myself in no longer and a scream escaped my lips b conceal, hide, suppress How can I hold in my feelings for you? 18 hold off a delay, defer, put off, refrain from, postpone, avoid We held off buying till we had the money saved up b repel, keep off, repulse, fend off, rebuff, resist, withstand We held off the attackers till help came 19 hold on. a grip, grasp, hold, clutch, cling Hold on to the rope and I'll pull you up b keep, maintain, cling, hang on, retain Don't try to hold on to yesterday's dreams c stop, wait, hold off, Colloq hang on Hold on a minute! I'm not finished 20 hold out. a last, carry on, persist, persevere, continue, hang on, stand firm or chiefly US pat, endure I hope that the good weather holds out for our trip Can we hold out till reinforcements arrive? b offer, proffer, extend, hold forth, present I grasped the hand he held out 21 hold over. a postpone, delay, defer, put off, hold off, suspend The decision is to be held over till next year b continue, retain, extend, prolong The singer was popular enough to be held over a month 22 hold up. a rob, waylay, Colloq mug, stick up; knock off or US over Two men held up the bank courier last night b delay, impede, hinder, slow (down or up), set back, detain I was held up by the infernal traffic again c last, survive, fare, bear up, endure I am not sure that my car will hold up through another winter d present, show, exhibit, display Gibbons has been held up to ridicule since the scandal 23 hold with. support, sustain, agree to or with, favour, countenance, approve (of), subscribe to, condone, concur with Being married to her doesn't mean you have to hold with all her ideas
n. 24 grasp, grip, clasp, clutch Take hold of the rope! 25 foothold, toe-hold, purchase She lost her hold and fell He has a good hold on the subject. 26 power, dominance, mastery, control, ascendancy, authority, influence, leverage, sway, Colloq pull, clout She has a hold over him that makes him do her bidding