1
as in delays
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there'll be a holdback on production until the new machinery is fully installed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the only holdback to starting the new job is my contractual commitment to my current position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holdbacks
Universities will continue to deal with the 3% holdbacks — plus another 2% drop — for next fiscal year, according to the statement of purpose for the appropriations bill that senators passed Thursday.
—
Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Add curtain holdbacks with playful animal details, or top your door hinges with decorative hinge caps for a knowing wink of whimsy.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Add curtain holdbacks with playful animal details, or top your door hinges with decorative hinge caps for a knowing wink of whimsy.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holdbacks
Noun
-
Emergency physicians do not control inpatient staffing, discharge bottlenecks, rehabilitation placement delays, or bed availability, yet emergency departments absorb the consequences when hospitals operate beyond capacity.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
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Another project will cause intermittent traffic breaks near Boca during the day Tuesday through Thursday, causing motorists to undergo delays of up to 30 minutes.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The winner in November will lead the country's most populous state, facing a large deficit and other obstacles, including the state's high cost of living, homelessness and wildfire risk.—
Marisa Lagos,
NPR,
6 June 2026
-
Despite the ongoing ups and downs of the housing market, including economic cycles and affordability obstacles including post-pandemic high interest rates, low inventory, and soaring prices, women – particularly Millennials – have continued to show resiliency.—
Kathy Collins,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Visitors can make a free same-day reservation for shorter entry waits or wait in a typically longer standby line.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi and fantasy titles that require considerable VFX work tend to be the shows that have the longest waits.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Overcoming cost barriers with advanced architecture Traditional nuclear energy projects frequently face economic hurdles due to the extensive lead times and high capital requirements of manufacturing heavy components.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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California has the third-most data centers in the country, with 300, but high electricity rates, expensive land and regulatory hurdles mean that fewer, and smaller, facilities are currently planned than in other hotspots.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Not just crashes, but obstructions, emergency scene conflicts, unexpected stops in travel lanes and response-time performance.—
David Roberts,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Of the photons of light that avoid clouds of dust and other deep-space obstructions to reach our planet, most don’t make it through Earth’s thick atmosphere, let alone through a telescope’s loss-prone optics.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
So using these as natural barriers obviously has an enormous significance — enormous importance.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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The department is also advancing plans for the South Delta Gates project, which would replace the temporary rock barriers with permanent operable gates.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The professional embarrassments even take place at the level of state supreme courts.—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
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That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holdbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holdbacks. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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