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

Networks typically hold back some commercial inventory for big events in case audience levels fall short of what advertisers are guaranteed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

He harangues referees and reporters and doesn’t hold back when communicating with his players.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Erick Erickson, the conservative radio host and founder of the RedState political blog, did not hold back.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

And the dozens of journalists gathered in the room didn't hold back.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

He wasn’t blinking hard to hold back tears.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix