ahold

(a)hold of (someone or something)

1. Literally, a grip on someone or something. The police officer got ahold of the suspect before he could run away. My sister had ahold of me at our mother's funeral to keep herself from breaking down in tears.
2. Successful contact and communication with someone. I wasn't able to get ahold of my brother over the weekend, I hope he's OK.
3. Total control, influence, or power over someone. Well, once corporations get ahold of a politician, it's easy to predict where that senator's or congressperson's interests will lie. Addiction seems to have completely gotten ahold of John.
4. Captivation of someone's attention, interest, or imagination. Her latest novel got ahold of me and didn't let go until I'd read it cover to cover.
See also: of

catch (a)hold of (someone or something)

To grasp or grip something. Catch hold of that end of the sheet and pull it straight. I tried to catch ahold of her before she fell off the step, but it happened too fast.
See also: catch, of

get ahold of (one)

1. Literally, to grab and hold onto someone with one's hands. The police officer got ahold of the suspect before he could run away. My sister got ahold of me at our mother's funeral to keep herself from breaking down in tears.
2. To successfully make contact and communicate with one. I wasn't able to get ahold of my brother over the weekend, I hope he's OK.
3. To gain total control, influence, or power over one. Well, once corporations get ahold of a politician, it's easy to predict where that senator's or congressperson's interests will lie. Addiction seems to have completely gotten ahold of John.
4. To capture one's attention, interest, or imagination. Her latest novel got ahold of me and didn't let go until I'd read it cover to cover.
See also: ahold, get, of

get ahold of (oneself)

To regain control of one's emotions; to begin acting calmly and rationally. A: "I can't do this! I can't!" B: "Come on, man, get ahold of yourself! Jumping out of an airplane is just the start of our assignment." I struggled to get ahold of myself before having to read the eulogy.
See also: ahold, get, of

grab (a)hold of (someone)

1. Literally, to grab and hold onto someone with one's hands. The police officer grabbed hold of the suspect before he could run away. My sister grabbed ahold of me at our mother's funeral to keep herself from breaking down in tears.
2. To gain total control, influence, or power over someone. Once major corporations grab hold of a politician, it's easy to predict where his political interests will lie. Addiction seems to have completely grabbed ahold of John.
3. To capture someone's attention, interest, or imagination. Her latest novel grabbed hold of me and didn't let go until I'd read it cover to cover.
See also: grab, of

have (a)hold of (someone or something)

Literally, to have a grip on someone or something. The police officer had ahold of the suspect before he could run away. My sister had ahold of me at our mother's funeral to keep herself from breaking down in tears.
See also: have, of

lay hold of (someone or something)

1. To grasp or grip someone or something. Lay hold of that end of the sheet and pull it straight. I tried to lay hold of her before she fell off the step, but it happened too fast.
2. To come to possess, control, or gain custody of someone or something. See if you can lay hold of a plane we can use to transport these goods across the border. If they police ever lay hold of him, he'll spend the rest of his life behind bars.
3. To manage to understand or conceive of something. It's a tricky concept to lay hold of, I know. I must have read this passage three times, but I simply cannot lay hold of its meaning.
See also: hold, lay, of

take (a)hold

1. To grasp or seize in one's hands. Take hold of this rope and lower yourself out the window. He took ahold of the box and carried it out of the building.
2. To become settled, established, or in control with great power and tenacity. Panic took hold of the crowd when the gunshot was heard. I'm afraid the cancer has taken ahold of his entire body.
See also: take

take (a)hold of (someone or something)

To grasp or seize someone or something in one's hands. Take hold of this rope and lower yourself out the window. He took ahold of the box and carried it out of the building. I tried to take ahold of her before she fell off the step, but it happened too fast.
See also: of, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • (a)hold of (someone or something)
  • have (a)hold of (someone or something)
  • hold of
  • get ahold of (one)
  • rip (someone or something) to bits
  • rip apart
  • rip somebody/something apart/to shreds, bits, etc.
  • rip (someone or something) apart
  • ripping
  • rip to
References in periodicals archive
One example he cites is Ahold Delhaize's emphasis on increasing in-store vaccinations.
Ahold Delhaize Sharpens Focus on Its Brands
Ahold Delhaize first announced the move in December.
Ahold Delhaize Creates New Umbrella for U.S. Operations
The divestments are made to comply with the conditions that the Belgian Competition Authority attached to its approval of the merger of Ahold and Delhaize Group in 2016.
Ahold Delhaize to Sell Four Stores, One Project in Belgium
Ahold USA's retail divisions, Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, and Giant Carlisle, embarked on a technology overhaul in collaboration with Verizon Enterprise Solutions to create a 'smarter store' for today's always-connected consumer, Verizon said.
Verizon, Ahold USA complete digital transformation Stop & Shop, Giant, Martin's
With a couple of exceptions, all courses will be taught at the Ahold USA support office.
Saint Joseph's partners with Ahold USA
Delhaize shareholders will receive 4.75 Ahold ordinary shares for each Delhaize ordinary share.
Ahold to buy Delhaize for EUR 9.3bn
Hosted by PG Brand Director and Stagnito Business Media VP Jeff Friedman and Chief Content Editor Meg Major, the intimate, invitation-only reception provided the event's valued sponsor partners a special opportunity to celebrate with, and extend personal congratulations to, Ahold USA and its divisions' senior leadership teams from Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover and Giant/Martin's.
Progressive Grocer Celebrates Ahold USA and Its Divisions as Its 2014 Retailer of the Year
The goal is part of Ahold USA's six-pillar Reshaping Retail strategy, which Boer first announced in 2011, not long after he began his position at the company.
Grabbing ahold of the reins
Despite overlaps in the online retailing of books, toys, games, music and films in the Netherlands, where Flevo operates through its subsidiary bol.com and Ahold through its online forum albert.nl, the EU executive concluded that the transaction would not create competition concerns due to the parties' limited combined market presence.
MERGERS : AHOLD'S ACQUISITION OF FLEVO GETS GREEN LIGHT
"Reducing our carbon footprint is a primary tenet of Ahold USA's main corporate responsibility priorities, which helps us minimize our impact on the environment while at the same time making operations more efficient," said Jihad Rizkallah, vice president of store planning for Ahold USA.
Ahold USA Recognized by EPA for Green Power Purchases
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it has reached a final settlement with Dutch retailer Ahold. The SEC's complaint alleged that, as a result of the fraudulent inflation of promotional allowances at Ahold subsidiary U.S.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it has reached a final settlement with Dutch retailer Ahold
The Dutch retail group Koninklijke Ahold NV (Ahold) has reportedly agreed to buy out Norwegian company Canica AS' 20% stake in Scandinavian retail chain ICA AB.
Ahold agrees to buy 20% stake in ICA AB - report
Royal Ahold sold its Peruvian and Chilean supermarket chains Supermercados Santa Isabel, as well as its Paraguay operations Supermercados Stock, as part of a company plan to exit South America and reduce its debt of approximately US$13 billion.
Tough talks
On April 14, 2000, Peapod (a "dot-com" grocery business) and Royal Ahold (a growing international "brick-and-mortar" food retailer headquartered in the Netherlands) announced a definitive agreement whereby Royal Ahold will invest $73 million in Peapod and receive 51 percent of Peapod's outstanding shares.
B2C DOT-COMS ARE INVESTMENT TARGETS FOR TRADITIONAL ENTERPRISES