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

The large cluster of skaters behind them held back, hoping the two leaders would run out of gas and drift back into the pack before the final sprint.

From Los Angeles Times

However, it was a colourful post-match interview that first brought Pollock's personality to screens, as the youngster chose not to hold back after England Under-18s were beaten by South Africa in 2022.

From BBC

Some ranchers across the country have started to hold back their animals for breeding rather than sending them to slaughter.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But our game is sport. That means keeping sport a neutral ground. A place where every athlete can compete freely, without being held back by the politics or divisions of their governments.”

From Los Angeles Times

Long, the Helsinki videogame developer, cautioned that Chinese developers were held back by U.S. controls on AI chips, which could make further advances more difficult.

From The Wall Street Journal