held back
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.
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Some of the people said he held back because he cared about one of the crew members on the flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
But Ohtani held back his hands long enough to extend them to the pitch and shoot it through the right side of the infield.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
As glaciers retreat, they can leave behind expanding lakes held back by unstable deposits of rock and ice.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
“Immigration policy changes likely held back payrolls growth in August,” said Bill Adams, chief economist at Fifth Third Commercial Bank.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Her hair was dull and matted, loosely held back to reveal her reddened ears.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The held-back funds are tied to programs that, in some cases, have received these dollars for decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2025
Although the held-back funds make up less than 1% of California’s education budget, they have an outsize cumulative effect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2025
In one moment, a student may sing a solo that lights up the room like a supernova only for them to later sing it through a clenched throat and held-back tears.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
Each jurisdiction must appoint two full-time commissioners and submit applications laying out the commission’s safety and investigative credentials and establishing its independence from Metro before the held-back money can be released, FTA officials say.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2017
I no longer feel the sinking in my gut, the held-back tearfulness that such a false accusation would once have produced.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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