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
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
-
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
-
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
-
Consider the type of AI tool that your business needs to succeed, and begin to strategically introduce and layer the technology in a way that feels supportive, not stifling.—
Eyal Lifshitz,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Broader questions about salary and a new contract are claimed to be stifling Stern's return and amping up the speculation about the next phase of his career.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Nurse Chapel concludes that sleep, friends, and romantic entanglements have been hampering her productivity.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The senior Lebanese official warned that continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon are hindering government efforts to disarm the group.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Armstrong was on probation for a case in Georgia involving charges of first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment, simple battery and obstructing or hindering of law enforcement, records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In this growing method, fruit trees are grown near particular companion plants that benefit fruit tree growth, such as pest-repelling flowers, soil-improving legumes, or weed-suppressing groundcovers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Practical strategies to keep anger in check Great leaders understand that emotional discipline is not about suppressing feelings but instead channeling them productively.—
Dr. Cynthia J. Young,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, then came an ugly post-game brawl that has gone viral on social media all over the world.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Taking just the bare stats into consideration, Rooney's managerial career has been defined by a horrendously low win rate, but that is in addition to a spate of embarrassing off-field antics.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This can make swallowing painful.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
4 Sep. 2025
-
These cosmic enigmas defy our everyday understanding of space and time, swallowing light and matter and pushing the laws of physics to the extreme.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Armstrong was on probation for a case in Georgia involving charges of first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment, simple battery and obstructing or hindering of law enforcement, records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Burning Man organizers stressed the importance of not obstructing the investigation.—
Stepheny Price , Julia Bonavita , Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20back. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share