hold back
Britishverb
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to restrain or be restrained
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(tr) to withhold
he held back part of the payment
noun
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a strap of the harness joining the breeching to the shaft, so that the horse can hold back the vehicle
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something that restrains or hinders
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Also, keep back.
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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]
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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.
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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 .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I don't know what we're going to do," his mother Arwen said, struggling to hold back tears.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
DeArmas, usually so composed, couldn't hold back his tears.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
After reading the exchange on Friday morning, Meloni didn’t hold back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
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
Seven had to work especially hard to hold back a smile.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
