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HOLD, COLLOCATIONS
Seize (someone or something) with (something). e.g.:…
HOLD
DEFINITIONS
- To take and keep something in your hand or arms e.g.: "Could you hold the door open, please?"//
- To support something e.g.:" The parts are held together with glue".//
- To contain or be able to contain something e.g.: "This jug holds exactly one pint".//
PHRASAL VERBS
- Hold it/ that against someone
- Hold someone/ something back
- Hold someone/ something down
- Hold forth
- Hold someone off
- Hold back
- Hold something back
- Hold something down
- Hold off
- Hold on
IDIOMS
- Hold all the cards: to be in a strong position when you are competing with someone else, because you have all the advantages.
- Hold the floor: to be in a strong position when you are competing with someone else, because you have all the advantages.
- Hold the fort: to have responsibility for something while someone else is absent.
- Hold your own: to be as successful as other people or things in a situation.
- Hold the reins: be in control.
- Hold something in reserve
- Hold sway: to have power or a very strong influence.
CLUTCH
DEFINITION
To grasp or hold with or as if with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly, or suddenly e.g.: I had to clutch the counter to keep from falling.
COLLOCATIONS
- verb + clutch (n): drop, engage, put your foot on, disengage, let in/ out, release, take your foot off e.g.:"put it into first gear and let the clutch out slowly."
- clutch (n) + verb: engage, disengage, slip.
- clutch (n)+ noun: pedal.
- clutch (v) + adv: firmly, tightly, desespately.
- clutch (v) + prep.: at e.g.:"he felt himself slipping and clutched at a branch".
PHRASES
- clutch something in your hand e.g.: "She clutched her handbag tightly in one hand".//
- clutch something to your chest e.g.: "she clutchedthe letter to her chest".
CLASP
DEFINITION
To hold someone or something firmly in your hands or arms e.g.: "Lie on your back, clasp your knees and pull them down towards your chest".
COLLOCATIONS
- clasp (v) + adv.: tightly e.g.: "she clasped her bag tightly as she walked through the crowd".// lightlly, loosely, warmly e.g.: "he claspedmy hand warmly in welcome".// together e.g.:"she faced Will, her hands clasped together".
CLENCH
DEFINITION
To close or hold something very tightly, often in a determined or angry way. e.g.: "The old man clenched his fist and waved it angrily at us".
COLLOCATIONS
- clench (v) + adv.: tight/ tightly e.g.: "His jaw was tightly clenched".// involuntarily e.g.:"her hands
- clenched involuntarily".// together e.g.: "She sat with hands clenched together in her lap".
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GRAB
DEFINITION
To take hold of something or someone suddenly and roughly.
e.g.: "I managed to grab her hand"
COLLOCATIONS
- Grab (used without object) (usually followed by at) e.g.:
"He grabbed frantically at the life preserver"
- Grab + at: to try to grab something. e.g: "He was clumsily trying to grab at Alfred's arms"
- grab the opportunity
- Grab your coat
- Grab something to eat
IDIOMS
- Up for grabs: available for anyone to take, win, or settle
- To grab the bull by the horns: To approach, confront, or deal with a problem or difficult situation directly and with clear, confident action. e.g.; "I grabbed the bull by the horns and confronted my manager about the blatant sexism in the office"
- To grab some shut-eye: to get some sleep or to rest. e.g.:
“He was exhausted from a long day of work and knew he needed to grab some shut-eye before his West coast online meeting”
SEIZE
DEFINITION
- Implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible. e.g.: "the wind seized the hat off my head"
- To take by force or capture. e.g.:
"Troops have seized the airport and radio stations"
- To take legal possession of something. e.g.:
"Police were reported to have seized all copies of the newspaper"
IDIOMS
- Seize the day: To take the opportunity to do something at the present moment without worrying about the future. e.g.: "This is our time. Let's seize the day! We may never get a chance to do this again"
- Seize the moral high ground: to say that you are morally better than someone else. e.g.: "Some corporations have seized the moral high ground"
GRASP
DEFINITION
to quickly take something in your hands and hold it firmly
"He shook my hand with a very firm grasp"
- To understand something
"“It took me a while to get a grasp of advanced calculus"
IDIOMS
- Within one’s grasp: something that is close to being achieved or attained. e.g.:
“The promotion was within her grasp, but she just missed out"
- To grasp the nettle: to act boldly. e.g.: "ou've been putting off making that phone call for days - I think it's about time you grasped the nettle!"
- To grasp at straws: to reach for or try anything in desperation. e.g.: "“He was grasping at straws to try and come up with a solution to the problem"
- Grasp all, lose all. a phrase warning that greediness is often accompanied by the potential for significant loss.e.g: "He was so focused on getting the big promotion that he didn’t realize he was sacrificing his personal relationships You know what they say, grasp all, lose all”
COLLOCATIONS
- Grasp + his/her + elbow, arm, ear, shirt sleeves
- Grasp an opportunity
- Grasp an idea, a concept, a language
- Grasp on to the chair, pole, rock
- Grasp lightly, firmly, tightly, desperately, quickly
COLLOCATIONS
- Seize (someone or something) with (something). e.g.: "The astronauts seized the detached cable with the robotic arm"
- Seize on(to) (something). e.g.: "The child seized onto her father's arm during the scary parts of the film"
- Seize something up. e.g.: "The crow seized the freshly hatched chick up and flew away"
- Seize an opportunity
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