hold back

verb

1. to restrain or be restrained
2. tr to withhold

   he held back part of the payment

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

Idioms and Phrases

Also, keep back .

Example Sentences

Without that hanging over their heads they have no need to hold back.

From Salon

And they didn’t hold back in the fourth, building a 26-point lead.

From Los Angeles Times

It just means that we shouldn’t hold back from clearly communicating the risk at hand and the scale of work that lies ahead.

From Salon

"This limitation has held back the development of materials that need to be both stretchable and stiff, forcing engineers to choose one property at the expense of the other," Huang said.

From Science Daily

The self described “old feminist,” wearing a flannel and jeans, held back tears as she placed her hand on Krell’s shoulder — another female attorney fighting for reproductive rights more than 50 years later.

From Los Angeles Times