take hold

Idioms  

1. Grasp, as in Take hold of this end of the rope . [Late 1500s]

2. Become established, as in The new vines quickly took hold , or This idea will never take hold with the voters . [c. 1300]

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Example Sentences

In a recent interview, he said he still believes EVs will take hold in the U.S. as they have elsewhere in the world, but he’s making no guess when that will happen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Though analysts envision various scenarios in which business conditions improve for Microsoft, it remains to be seen how quickly change could take hold or whether that would be enough to turn the stock around.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Done right, narrative exposition will tell an audience everything that they need to know about a character, while leaving just enough room for curiosity to take hold.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Chief fire officer Jonathan Dyson said the presumed cause was "a stark reminder of how quickly wildfires can take hold, particularly in hot, dry and windy conditions".

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Did these images from foreign lands take hold in her imagination instead?

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman