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Showing results for hold back. Search instead for holzlack.
Definitions

hold back

VERB
repress
Synonyms
WEAK
bit bridle check control curb defer delay deny forbear hold down hold in hold off inhibit keep keep back keep out postpone prevent put off refrain refuse restrain stop suppress withhold

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.

In comparison, Mandava's look seemed to hold back.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

“It kind of siphoned all of that pent-up, closeted stuff that you hold back, that you couldn’t freely express,” she said.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

Relentless predator control—through poisoning, trapping and shooting, and high mesh fences that can hold back everything from a baby mouse to a pig—are the only hope for continued nesting of native seabirds on the islands.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Ice shelves act as barriers that hold back Antarctica's inland glaciers and ice sheets.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

All of a sudden it gushes up, and I clench my lips, but it's like trying to hold back an ocean.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman