take hold
Idioms-
Grasp, as in Take hold of this end of the rope . [Late 1500s]
-
Become established, as in The new vines quickly took hold , or This idea will never take hold with the voters . [c. 1300]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To prepare for transplant, I had two weeks of near-lethal doses of chemo to destroy my diseased bone marrow and suppress my immune system, creating space for donor cells to take hold.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Nispel noted that shares trade at an attractive valuation and said he expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization growth to reaccelerate as the company’s efforts to cut costs take hold.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Even if a firmer truce were to take hold, shipping companies and port operators would need to see safer conditions in order to transit the strait and re-enter the region.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
Equally, Chelsea were keen not to allow ill‑discipline to take hold, having already collected nine red cards across all competitions this season.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
From what I’d been able to figure out, I had to touch someone for my abilities to take hold, and even then...it was more like I was glimpsing their thoughts, rather than screwing with them.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
