HANDHOLDS Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

handholds

noun

plural of handhold

as in grips

the act or manner of holding she tried to maintain her tight handhold on the umbrella as the wind picked up

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of handholds The rock wall offered no handholds, and the waves might easily have beaten us unconscious on the rocks. — Jim Hoagland, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026 That would cut off access to the narrow gaps between train cars where subway surfers use handholds to hoist themselves onto the roof. — Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025 The other was the rescue of two women who cliffed out on the famous Via Ferrata in Telluride where there are cables and handholds along with iron rungs. — Alan Gionet, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The steep route is laced with a via Ferrata—the system, invented in the Dolomites, of metal handholds, footholds, and cables that climbers can clip into and follow all the way up. — Darrell Hartman, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2024 Instead of using natural handholds in the rock, via ferrata climbers move almost exclusively using artificial hardware drilled into the rock face, such as chains, cables, bridges, and ladders, and are attached to these fixtures via a tether and harness at all times. — Owen Clarke, Outside, 29 Sep. 2025 Making his way blindly back around the jagged metal shard, moving along the side of the Gemini—finding the handholds and Velcro and the ship’s aft cable without the benefit of vision, all the while battling to keep his heart rate under control—was no small thing. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025 In several photos and videos posted on social media, the 30-year-old can be seen descending the sheer face of the crater and gripping handholds while performing various acrobatic tricks before falling into the volcanic waters below. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 15 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for handholds

Noun

But for all the celebrations, there are also serious safety considerations as potentially record heat grips much of the Midwest and East Coast.

— Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The lightweight frames have rubber temple grips and adjustable nose pads.

— Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025

Definition of grasps

Browse Nearby Words

hand-holdings

handholds

handicap

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“Handholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handholds. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of handholds

noun

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