hold 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.
New dams and debris basins turned the vast natural waterways and springs and creeks of old L.A. into a chutes-and-ladders system to divert and hold back water and mud, before the next time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
In 2024, Maryland adopted a version of Mississippi’s most controversial literacy policy—requiring schools to hold back students if they can’t read adequately by third grade—as part of the state’s new comprehensive literacy policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"He was broken and he was just crying," she said, struggling to hold back her own tears, recalling their first phone call after his arrest.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
As the women sing along some struggle to hold back tears.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
They took information from anyone willing to talk and didn’t hold back crucial details the way US papers sometimes did.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
