hold back

verbrepress

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Synonyms for hold back

verb repress

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Word Origin & History

Old English haldan (Anglian), healdan (West Saxon), "to contain, grasp; retain; foster, cherish," class VII strong verb (past tense heold, past participle healden), from Proto-Germanic *haldanan (cf. Old Saxon haldan, Old Frisian halda, Old Norse halda, Dutch houden, German halten "to hold," Gothic haldan "to tend"), originally "to keep, tend, watch over" (as cattle), later "to have." Ancestral sense is preserved in behold. The original past participle holden was replaced by held beginning 16c., but survives in some legal jargon and in beholden.

Hold back is 1530s, transitive; 1570s, intransitive; hold off is early 15c., transitive; c.1600, intransitive; hold out is 1520s as "to stretch forth," 1580s as "to resist pressure." Hold on is early 13c. as "to maintain one’s course," 1830 as "to keep one’s grip on something," 1846 as an order to wait or stop. To hold (one's) tongue "be silent" is from c.1300. To hold (one's) own is from early 14c. To hold (someone's) hand "give moral support" is from 1935. Phrase hold your horses "be patient" is from 1844. To have and to hold have been paired alliteratively since at least c.1200, originally of marriage but also of real estate.

Example Sentences for hold back

Does it hold back the lash from the slave, or sweeten his bitter bread?

It ain't no use fer you to hold back; we've got a ladder, and by Jiminy!

But when it came I would not hold back for my shipmates' sake.

He smiled, pretending to hold back much laughter, and Mary smiled too.

He leads her straight into the woes: will she follow, will she hold back?

She had much ado to hold back most unqueenly tears of disappointment.

The people that should have been ready to welcome them, hold back.

If others were cowardly enough to hold back, he would go alone.

There's the ground, and there's the precious metals it's a-tryin' to hold back on us.

Please don't think I'm not wantin' to trust you, because I hold back.

hold back

Synonyms for hold back

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anticipate

anticipates

anticipating

back down

backing down

black out

blacked out

bottle up

check

hold back

Synonyms .css-1u0ksf7{color:#d9d9d9;}for hold back

More words related to hold back

.css-1unrqcp{color:inherit;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}anticipate

Synonyms for hold back

anticipate