hold back
Britishverb
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to restrain or be restrained
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(tr) to withhold
he held back part of the payment
noun
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a strap of the harness joining the breeching to the shaft, so that the horse can hold back the vehicle
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something that restrains or hinders
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Also, keep back.
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Retain in one's possession or control, as in He held back vital information , or I managed to keep back my tears . [First half of 1500s]
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Restrain one-self, as in She held back from joining the others , or I wanted to denounce him right there, but I kept back for fear of making a scene . The first usage dates from the second half of the 1500s, the variant from the early 1800s.
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Impede the progress of, as in The barriers held back traffic during the funeral procession , or Her daughter was kept back and had to repeat first grade .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This album is just about love and loving each other in a world that feels loveless," said the star holding back tears of joy.
From BBC
However, although aluminum prices have been supported by stable alumina costs, the analyst notes that it could be partially held back by recent geopolitical uncertainties, which could weigh on demand.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies meet Sunday with a familiar dilemma: add barrels to the market or continue holding back against a fragile geopolitical backdrop.
Maggie could not hold back her emotions a second longer, “No—no—it is not so! Doctor Kane knows it is not!”
From Literature
Big Tech held back gains for the S&P 500, making it difficult for the index to advance Thursday, even as other parts of the market broadly climbed, Gordon said in a phone interview.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
