HELD BACK Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

held back

verb

past tense of hold back

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

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as in stifled

to refrain from openly showing or uttering held back her tears until she was alone

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of held back Until this week, Newsom had held back from responding to Bianco’s controversial investigation into voter fraud, in which the Sheriff’s Department seized thousands of ballots in Riverside County. —

Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 The original law included a third-grade retention policy that granted several broad exemptions, including allowing parents to opt their children out of being held back. —

Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 During the show’s second hour, Guthrie went outside to thank the crowd and briefly held back tears. —

Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026 LeBron James looked on with his hands on his hips as the exchange continued, before Reaves, who was briefly held back by a staffer, walked away. —

Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026 Conversely, the electric guitar is held back by the lack of stereo separation, as is the fiddle in turn. —

Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026 According to the federal indictment, the state agency had already held back more than $122,000 from this contractual agreement. —

Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026 The series, starring Morris Chestnut, was initially held back for another midseason run on Sundays before being summoned to the fall schedule to fill in for the delayed CIA, landing behind FBI on Mondays. —

Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026 The airline’s efforts to revive services have been held back by the closure of Qatar’s airspace, alongside the company’s heavier dependence on long-haul corridors that remain constrained. —

Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back

Verb

An amusing film if not altogether convincing, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is protracted and exceedingly hampered by imitation.

— Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
But it has been hampered by technical and staffing issues, the Financial Times reported, with passengers in 15 countries waiting up to three hours at security.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026