1
as in impeding
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 stifling
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 holding back
But the tenacity of Kyiv’s forces in holding back the Russian summer offensive has been a remarkable outlier, and wider Russian progress remains a fierce possibility in the weeks ahead.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Many women mentioned disengaging from projects, holding back in meetings or even hiding their achievements in order to avoid backlash.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
From lighting and paint colors to shutters and roofing, the smallest details might be holding back your home’s potential curb appeal.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
This absolute confidentiality helps give penitents the confidence to approach confession forthrightly, without holding back.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Her brother Nick, however, did attend, and even seemed to be holding back tears as the WWE paid tribute to Hogan.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Aug. 2025
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Many women mentioned disengaging from projects, holding back in meetings or even hiding their achievements in order to avoid backlash.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
From lighting and paint colors to shutters and roofing, the smallest details might be holding back your home’s potential curb appeal.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
This absolute confidentiality helps give penitents the confidence to approach confession forthrightly, without holding back.
—Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Her brother Nick, however, did attend, and even seemed to be holding back tears as the WWE paid tribute to Hogan.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding back
Verb
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Former Klamath Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell, a longtime advocate for dam removal, told The Arizona Republic in 2024 that his tribe had suffered from the dams impeding salmon migration years before the downriver tribes.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
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But that kind of government involvement carries any number of risks, like impeding overall economic growth or making US companies less competitive around the world.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lately, however, that search for control has become overly cautious, stifling attacking adventure.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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After enduring a stifling sea of sameness in the basic design of the iPhone since the iPhone X, Apple’s new line of iPhone 17s finally brings a very diverse and distinctive breadth of offerings to people looking for an iPhone.—
Bob O’Donnell,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With few credible projects elsewhere, and with legal and political battles still hampering California, the outlook isn’t good.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Since Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United 10 months ago, the team’s struggles to score goals have been hampering them.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The share of businesses saying that lack of transparency was hindering operations fell by 12 percentage points to 16%.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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This can lead to a sense of helplessness and fear, hindering creativity and collaboration.—
Kotter,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sigma's coatings and the lens hood prove effective enough in suppressing the effect, short of shots where the sun itself is prominently in frame.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This ensures lithium is deposited smoothly across the anode, effectively suppressing dendrite growth even under rapid-charging conditions.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The mother, being a mother, finds fault and has embarrassing politics.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
On top of that already embarrassing history, Ravens longtime head coach John Harbaugh has made some unfortunate NFL history of his own.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vision may be impacted and the sufferer will demonstrate symptoms of dementia before, ultimately, losing the ability to perform basic functions like eating, swallowing and breathing.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The epiglottis blocks the trachea during swallowing.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As part of the plea deal, additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and resisting or obstructing a peace officer were dismissed, according to court records.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20back. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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