holdback

[ hohld-bak ]

/ ˈhoʊldˌbæk /

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noun

the iron or strap on the shaft of a horse-drawn vehicle to which the breeching of the harness is attached, enabling the horse to hold back or to back the vehicle.

a device for restraining or checking, as a doorstop or tieback.

a stop or delay: a holdback in negotiations.

a withholding: the holdback of a day's pay.

something, as a planned expenditure or allotment, that is withheld or deferred.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of holdback

First recorded in 1575–85; noun use of verb phrase hold back

Words nearby holdback

hold a grudge, hold a gun to someone's head, holdall, hold all the aces, hold at bay, holdback, hold button, hold court, holddown, hold 'em, holden

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use holdback in a sentence

And sometimes, the biggest holdback to women is that same depth to which they feel.
Daddy Runs a Meth Lab|Joel Keller|March 8, 2009|DAILY BEAST
For this end, during eleven years, all had given their share without stint or holdback.
Christine|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
When the nerve is unduly irritated the holdback, or inhibitory force, is increased, and the heart slows up in the same measure.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse|United States Department of Agriculture
In the clouds we were passing over Clingman, Gibbs, and Holdback.
On Horseback|Charles Dudley Warner

British Dictionary definitions for holdback

hold back

verb (adverb)

to restrain or be restrained

(tr) to withholdhe held back part of the payment

noun holdback

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

something that restrains or hinders

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with holdback

hold back

Also, keep back.

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]

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.

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.