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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Mining companies see enormous wealth in mineral deposits scattered across the seabed, but the fledgling industry has for years been held back by environmental concerns.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Neither group wants to be held back by regulations.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
But Gabelli said the stock price had been held back because “given the newness of this company, it is not understood by the market.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Until now, attempts to produce it had been held back by difficulties in developing the right materials.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
I held back and slipped into the darkness beneath the stairs.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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
