Retain in one's possession or control, as in He held back vital information , or I managed to keep back my tears . [First half of 1500s]

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Restrain one-self, as in She held back from joining the others , or I wanted to denounce him right there, but I kept back for fear of making a scene . The first usage dates from the second half of the 1500s, the variant from the early 1800s.

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Impede the progress of, as in The barriers held back traffic during the funeral procession , or Her daughter was kept back and had to repeat first grade .

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hold back

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