ahold

noun

ə-ˈhōld 

informal

: hold

—usually used in phrases like get ahold of to mean "take hold of," "get possession of," "get in contact with," etc.

It took me a long time to learn that success is not such a fabulous goal. It's like air—you can't get ahold of it.

—Kristin McMurran

An eleven-year-old boy … gets ahold of a million dollars in laundered money and goes on a spending spree.

—The New Yorker

… if you could get ahold of a representative …

—Norman Mailer

I picture him now reading this, and long to reach out of the page and grab ahold of his shirt front …

—Mary Karr

Examples of ahold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The photo shows a sow reaching up to grab ahold of the elk carcass, which is hanging from a tractor, while her cubs feed just below it. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024

One officer held up another officer, who was able to grab ahold of the ledge, Knights said. —NBC News, 16 July 2024

According to the video, Bennetts then tells the man to grab ahold of the disc. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024

The practice involves free-falling while taking ahold of other skydivers to create shapes, all while falling at speeds of around 120 mph for at least 60 seconds. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

probably from the phrase a hold

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above