as in assistance
patient and attentive guidance encouragement, or instruction
New computer users often require a good deal of hand-holding.
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Recent Examples of hand-holding
Elsewhere is Charles Ray’s Family Romance, 1993, whose hand-holding nude figures subvert any structuring of traditional family values.
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Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Adams views these interventions not as hand-holding, but as essential adaptations to a new workplace culture, where transparency, constant feedback, and a search for meaning are fundamental.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Ahead of their May studio confirmation, Anderson .Paak and Mariah Carey had already set the internet ablaze with a series of very public hand-holding moments.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The Songbird Supreme spoke with Gayle King on the Wednesday, Sept. 24 episode of CBS Mornings about her upcoming 16th studio album, Here for It All, which features collaborations with .Paak following their recent hand-holding outings that sparked romance rumors.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Everyone gathers in the seance room for a little Practical Magic–esque spell-casting hand-holding.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Cross-train staff, delegate decision making early, and build a leadership layer that doesn’t need hand-holding.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
In the middle of the episode, the pop superstar — who demonstrated visible PDA with Travis, 35, throughout the podcast's two-hour duration (kissing, hand-holding and all) — discussed her obsession with numerology, particularly her fascination with the number 13.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Startups need self-starters who can tackle challenges without excessive hand-holding.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-holding
Noun
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The outlet also said the plan represents a shift away from long-standing import subsidies toward direct assistance for citizens.—
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According to the firm, its robots provide interactive assistance, handling routine inquiries with a warm, human-like presence and expressive body language.—
Noun
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The bill passed in June without media attention, while bombs were dropping on Iran.—
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But Vanderbilt, as attention, pressure and fatigue rise on a pursuit no one outside its camp expected, is essentially two teams with two games left in the 2025 regular season.—
Noun
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Andy Baker-White, the senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the bipartisan support for bills targeting food dyes and ultraprocessed food struck him as unusual.—
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The perfectly chunky, almost-statement shoes feature a lightweight midsole, shock-absorbing arch support, and a deep heel cup designed to keep your foot stable as you strut.—
Noun
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Tyler Herro scored 19 on 7 for 15 shooting but had as many turnovers (three) as assists.—
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Stephen Curry scored 31 for his 13th 30-point performance of the season and Jimmy Butler had 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists in his fourth 30-point outing as the Warriors had a three-game home winning streak snapped.—
Noun
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On Wednesday, Mayor Barbara Lee and police leaders credited the city’s violence intervention program, as well as surveillance technology and help from the California Highway Patrol, with driving much of the decline.—
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Two of the patients sustained minor injuries, one of whom declined medical help.—
Noun
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In addition to marketing and contract management services, Cureate offers educational courses.—
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An Assumption block and a Notre Dame error tied the score, but Emily Keiran's service error gave the Pandas a 15-14 lead.—
Cite this Entry
“Hand-holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-holding. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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