Advertisement

Advertisement

have a hold over



Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Also, have a hold on . Have a controlling influence over. For example, Blackmailers have a hold over their victims , or, as Shakespeare put it in The Merchant of Venice (4:1): “The law has yet another hold on you.” [Late 1500s]

Advertisement

Word of the Day

firkin

[fur-kin ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement