take hold
idiomatic phrase
1
: to grasp, grip, or seize something
took hold and hung on tight
—often used with oftake hold of the railing
… she took hold of his arm with both her hands, and looked up eagerly—oh, with such terrible eagerness!—into his face.—
Anthony Trollope
—often used figurativelyAnthony TrollopeAs word of the subpoenas spread … confusion and hysteria took hold of the social set …—Bob Colacello
Bob ColacelloI did not want Merlin to retire from the job until I was ready to take hold of it effectively myself …—Mark Twain
Mark Twain2
: to become effective, established, or popular
The change in the law has not yet taken hold.
… a swath of land that has been spared from lava flows long enough that rich vegetation has had a chance to take hold.—G. Brad Lewis
G. Brad Lewis… here in central California the French aesthetic has recently taken hold.—Rebecca Coffey
Rebecca CoffeyExamples of take hold in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the near-total exclusion from Olympic involvement that took hold after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has begun sponsoring alternative athletic events to keep Russian athletes active and the public engaged.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
Photograph: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Citrus greening, an incurable disease spread by insects that ruins crops before eventually killing trees, has imperiled Florida’s citrus industry since the ailment took hold in a grove in Miami nearly two decades ago.
—Ayurella Horn-Muller, WIRED, 3 Aug. 2024
Republicans point to Trump’s first term in office, when the economy was strong and unemployment was low until the pandemic took hold.
—Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 July 2024
Adjacent to this critique framing, a rumor took hold among pro-Trump communities that the Secret Service had rejected Trump’s additional security requests, which the GOP had been investigating — a claim the Secret Service has denied.
—Danielle Lee Tomson, The Conversation, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for take hold 
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
Photograph: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Citrus greening, an incurable disease spread by insects that ruins crops before eventually killing trees, has imperiled Florida’s citrus industry since the ailment took hold in a grove in Miami nearly two decades ago.
—Ayurella Horn-Muller, WIRED, 3 Aug. 2024
Republicans point to Trump’s first term in office, when the economy was strong and unemployment was low until the pandemic took hold.
—Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 July 2024
Adjacent to this critique framing, a rumor took hold among pro-Trump communities that the Secret Service had rejected Trump’s additional security requests, which the GOP had been investigating — a claim the Secret Service has denied.
—Danielle Lee Tomson, The Conversation, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for take hold
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take hold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Take hold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20hold. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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