1
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the only thing holding them back from joining the swim team is lack of transportation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
held back her tears until she was alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of held back
Maggie certainly never held back.
—
Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
That doesn’t include those held back for opponents’ fans, student overflow and other promotions that could be released for sale.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
However, rev was held back as supply constraints impacted iPhone in the qtr.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
And the same behaviors and structures that have held back board diversity elsewhere apply in AI.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
The center, Slaughter, briefly held back tears.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Some of the plasma was held back and applied topically in a mask.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
Some, like the Rokid Glasses, come close—but they're consistently held back by technical shortcomings, clunky controls, and a lack of refinement.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
She was wrestled away from him as her crying children were held back by other agents.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
That doesn’t include those held back for opponents’ fans, student overflow and other promotions that could be released for sale.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
However, rev was held back as supply constraints impacted iPhone in the qtr.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
And the same behaviors and structures that have held back board diversity elsewhere apply in AI.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
The center, Slaughter, briefly held back tears.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Some of the plasma was held back and applied topically in a mask.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
Some, like the Rokid Glasses, come close—but they're consistently held back by technical shortcomings, clunky controls, and a lack of refinement.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
She was wrestled away from him as her crying children were held back by other agents.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back
Verb
-
This isn’t the first time injuries have hampered Norfleet.—
Chase Gemes,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
All of these issues combined have left Target with a workforce that has grown faster than sales and a complex corporate structure that has hampered decision-making and created needless red tape.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Annie Palmer,Frank Holland,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Between hugs and stifled tears, players walked up to sift through them.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
While some dreams are realized, others are stifled or pushed aside altogether.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When pirating hindered the shipping of gold to Lisbon, Paraty pivoted to farming sugarcane (the basis of cachaça) and later became one of the earliest hubs for coffee growing in a country that is still the globe’s largest exporter of beans.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
At an October debate, Bowman tried to portray Pureval as soft on crime and alleged that unspecified initiatives from City Hall had hindered police from doing their jobs.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The fresh evidence of how internal dissent was suppressed for the sake of diplomatic relationships exposes a broader crisis of impunity for crimes committed against journalists, and the failure of states to hold other states accountable.—
Scott Griffen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
This may have resulted in cooling that had until now suppressed the sublimation of water ice to steam.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Simmons’ financial liabilities don’t seem to have impeded his movements.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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Gaza desperately needs items that the Israeli government has frequently impeded, such as emergency shelter supplies, infrastructure reconstruction materials, medical supplies, fuel, and power generation.—
Jeremy Konyndyk,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some disappeared from the city and were swallowed up in the Yeoman hinterland.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
And businesses that have so far swallowed the tariffs without raising prices may not be able to for much longer.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
French authorities have arrested several suspects after a frantic manhunt for the men who staged a spectacular daytime heist at the Louvre museum that gripped the world and embarrassed the government in Paris.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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The Revolution provided a brief scare through a 59th-minute goal from Dor Turgeman, who embarrassed a defender before curling home a spectacular effort, but Inter Miami broke the tie almost immediately after the strike that made the score 2-1.—
Franco Panizo,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sebastian was intubated because the swelling from the burns obstructed his airway, reducing his ability to breathe normally, Reynoso added.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But the house, originally built in the 1960s, felt clunky thanks to a massive fireplace that obstructed views and odd layouts with far too many twists and turns.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20back. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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