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
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 holding back
None of this is holding back the wider push.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
There was no holding back on the project’s ambition.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And more pressure is coming from powerful education groups because Newsom is holding back some school funds that the constitution requires to be paid.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Smaller drones are also holding back Russian troops along the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line and disrupting the supply lines of Russia’s invading army, Western analysts and officials say.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors are seeking a 41-month prison sentence, and Perry's family isn't holding back.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Jack Antonoff isn’t holding back on his thoughts on music makers who use artificial intelligence.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Plus, Superjumbo has been holding back on things like listening parties and has turned down artists that wanted to do in-store performances because of the limited space, according to Mancuso.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The art world has been in a recession for 15 years, galleries are closing, young collectors are holding back, and artists trying to make it in the major market centers are living on the brink of poverty.
—Magnus Resch, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
There was no holding back on the project’s ambition.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And more pressure is coming from powerful education groups because Newsom is holding back some school funds that the constitution requires to be paid.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Smaller drones are also holding back Russian troops along the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line and disrupting the supply lines of Russia’s invading army, Western analysts and officials say.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors are seeking a 41-month prison sentence, and Perry's family isn't holding back.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Jack Antonoff isn’t holding back on his thoughts on music makers who use artificial intelligence.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Plus, Superjumbo has been holding back on things like listening parties and has turned down artists that wanted to do in-store performances because of the limited space, according to Mancuso.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The art world has been in a recession for 15 years, galleries are closing, young collectors are holding back, and artists trying to make it in the major market centers are living on the brink of poverty.
—Magnus Resch, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding back
Verb
-
Protests outside the gates have shown activists pummeling cars, impeding the exits and in some cases getting hurled out of the way after collisions with vehicles attempting to speed away from the violent activists.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
-
Over the years, the number of cars parking near the bridge — often illegally, sometimes impeding emergency vehicles — has risen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
How to analyze a poetics of irreverence and improvisation—of life experienced in a perpetual present—without stifling precisely these qualities?—
Joe Dunthorne,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
-
Indiana used a balanced offensive approach and stifling defense to bounce back and improve to 5-4.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Last year, Alexander Isak’s eventual defection following a summer-long saga proved disastrous, hampering Newcastle’s own business, which had already been affected by Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director in May and by being pipped to their top targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Deep mistrust among some people in the town is hampering response efforts to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus — for which there is no vaccine.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
But the country’s key tool for suppressing the pest — a facility that breeds sterile flies to halt reproduction of the parasite — isn’t slated to begin operating until November 2027.—
Ilena Peng,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
The health care provider would then diagnose a player with Parkinson’s and, usually, issue a prescription for levodopa, a medicine that treats Parkinson’s by masking or suppressing symptoms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
This structural debt was hindering basic operations and the company’s ability to serve customers, especially as clients’ technology needs evolve.—
Sage Lazzaro,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
There are reports that China may have provided Iran with access to its BeiDou satellite navigation system, significantly improving the accuracy of Iran’s missiles and drones and hindering any effort to jam or spoof them.—
Michael P. Dempsey,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
And do your best to avoid swallowing the water.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
8 June 2026
-
Johns founded the university's voice center in 2017 in order to help people experiencing issues with their voices, swallowing or airways and improve their quality of life.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 40% of calls handled by Sacramento’s emergency medical services system were non-emergencies, tying up ambulances and paramedics, delaying urgent medical responses and adding nearly $5 million in costs to the city, according to a city audit.—
Reeti Malhotra
May 29,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
As many spread awareness to avoid tying up a dog outside, Ezra's owner is hoping someone can help.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20back. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
