Meaning & use
contain
To have something inside; to hold or include as a part.
See it in a sentence
The box contained old photographs and letters from her grandmother.
Firefighters worked through the night to contain the spreading wildfire.
A note on using this word
Contain can mean simply 'to hold inside,' as with a box, or 'to control and prevent from spreading,' as with a fire or outbreak.
Words with a similar meaning
holdinclude
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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