hold back

British  

verb

1. to restrain or be restrained

2. (tr) to withhold

   he held back part of the payment

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noun

1. a strap of the harness joining the breeching to the shaft, so that the horse can hold back the vehicle

2. something that restrains or hinders

hold back Idioms  

1. Also, keep back.

2. 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]

3. 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.

4. 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 .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hold back

New dams and debris basins turned the vast natural waterways and springs and creeks of old L.A. into a chutes-and-ladders system to divert and hold back water and mud, before the next time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The estimable podcaster Dwarkesh Patel tweeted last week that “any global agreement to hold back a technology with enormous near-term economic and military benefits will be extremely fragile.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

On Sky Sports, former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge did not hold back in his criticism.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

DeArmas, usually so composed, couldn't hold back his tears.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

All of a sudden it gushes up, and I clench my lips, but it's like trying to hold back an ocean.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman