Hold
Hold verb - To continue to have in one's possession or power.
Usage example: she, and she alone, held the keys to the mysterious chest
Possess is a synonym for hold in keep topic. In some cases you can use "Possess" instead a verb "Hold", when it comes to topics like have, own, possession, occupy. popular alternative
Possess
Possess verb - To keep, control, or experience as one's own.
Usage example: she possesses a keen insight into people
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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He can generate blasts of telekinetic force, possess other bodies, seize enemies and hold them up in the air, generate defensive shields, and blow people to pieces with his mind.
Source: Psychic Powers -
However, Mabus can only successfully possess hosts that are mentally strong enough to hold his essense.
Source: Body Surf -
The Gonne in in Terry Pratchett's Men at Arms, which wasn't just a powerful weapon, but a weapon that could possess the mind of those who hold it, tempting it with the power it has and what the holder could do with it.
Source: Evil Weapon
Cite this Source
Possess and Hold. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/hold/possess
Hold & Possess. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/hold/possess>.
Possess or Hold. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/hold/possess.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "hold" and "possess" have occurred on timeline