HOLDBACKS Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

holdbacks

noun

plural of holdback

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 holdbacks And maybe this is an opportunity to voice something, and that is that independent films from the United States are more and more often being subjected to strategies which used to be dedicated to bigger, more commercial films, in terms of holdbacks. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holdbacks

Noun

Amid the delays and setbacks, simply opening the museum may feel like a victory to its founders.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
When unexpected delays crop up, even presidents have to wait.

— Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of delays

Noun

Both of them agreed that the American dream is more alive now than ever before, despite some obstacles that younger Latinos are currently facing.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The obstacles to the transformation of Taiwan’s navy are more institutional than technical.

— HOLMES LIAO, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Noun

Another common argument is that single-payer systems are inherently inefficient, as evidenced ostensibly by long waits for treatment suffered by patients in single-payer countries such as Canada.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The waits have been particularly long in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, where federal judges have usually taken three months or more to decide whether a detainee should be released.

— Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of waits

Noun

That means Roman will have the benefit of solar power and a lack of obstructions—giving it an unfettered look into the cosmos.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Even if a large storm has disrupted power lines or internet access, a high-quality walkie-talkie should transmit your communications, as long as there are no severe obstructions or blockage.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstructions

Noun

Long-standing problems and new barriers are combining to make a career in dietetics less appealing and less financially feasible, just as the nation is increasing its appetite for nutrition in health care.

— Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Both mainly reduced trade barriers and committed all three governments to avoid policies that inhibited commercial flows with one another.

— Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of barriers

Noun

Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of embarrassments

Browse Nearby Words

hold back

holdbacks

hold down

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Style

“Holdbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holdbacks. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of holdbacks

noun

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