Hold and Possess

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

Nearby Words: holding, holder, holdback

Possess

Possess verb - To keep, control, or experience as one's own.
Usage example: she possesses a keen insight into people

Hold is a synonym for possess in own topic. You can use "Hold" instead a verb "Possess", if it concerns topics such as seize, keep, have, possession. popular alternative

Common collocations

power hold power possess power
people hold people possess people
kind hold kind possess kind
body hold body possess body
Other words: amount, number, time, weapon, objects, weapons.

Both words in one sentence

  • Psychic Powers 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.
  • Body Surf However, Mabus can only successfully possess hosts that are mentally strong enough to hold his essense.
    Source: Body Surf
  • Evil Weapon 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