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.
See Examples For:
As glaciers retreat, they can leave behind expanding lakes held back by unstable deposits of rock and ice.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Molchanova said she felt out of place, held back by her limited English.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 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
The same accusation was leveled at Anthropic when it held back the public release of its powerful Mythos model over cybersecurity concerns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Even without their attention and praise and obvious pleasure, Briony could not have been held back from her writing.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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
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
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
