Showing results for "held"

• past participle of hold.
• past tense form of hold.

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• held
  held

  verb

  simple past tense and a past participle of hold.
• Held
  Held

  noun

  John, Jr., 1889–1958, U.S. cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.

held

¹ American  

[held] / hɛld /

verb

1. simple past tense and a past participle of hold.

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Held ² American  

[held] / hɛld /

noun

1. John, Jr., 1889–1958, U.S. cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.

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held British  

/ hɛld /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of hold 1

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Other Word Forms

• unheld
  adjective

Explanation

Anything that's held is controlled or kept by someone (or something). A city, for example, might be held by an attacking army. A rebel-held town is occupied by an invading group of rebels, and a Republican-held government is controlled by that particular political party. When Americans win so many medals in the Olympics that they break a world record, you might hear it described as a US-held record. Held comes from the Old English haldan, "to possess, contain, or rule."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

held Held

And Díaz likely will return Wednesday, sliding back into the closer role that Tanner Scott has held in his absence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

The primary will be held on Aug. 11 with a potential runoff on Aug. 25.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026

During the televised hearing, Park demanded that Coupang's Chairman Kim be held accountable for her son's death, while Oh's sister asked for an apology from Rogers.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was grateful that Morales was being held accountable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Only about children did we disagree: Karel wanted four, while I held out stubbornly for six.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Held since 1999, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez will take place this year from Sept. 26 to October 4.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Held at USC, the event honors storytellers across genres, hosting readings, screenings and performances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

Held at the London Palladium, the WhatsOnStage Awards have been running since 2001 and are voted for by the general public.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026

Held in police custody for 11 hours, which would have included questioning under caution, Mountbatten-Windsor was released while the investigation into his conduct continues.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026

Held the invisible cupcake to my lips, took a bite.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds