HOLDING BACK Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

holding back

verb

present participle of hold back

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stifling

to refrain from openly showing or uttering held back her tears until she was alone

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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 holding back While the Illigs are still part of Sporting KC’s day-to-day operations — and maintain their seat on the MLS’ Board of Governors — Mallouk doesn’t seem to be holding back on his own involvement. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 Many CEOs who run this experiment are surprised by how much intelligence the team had been holding back. — Janet M Harvey, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 But that's not the only thing holding back first-time buyers. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 7 July 2026 But it hadn't been spotted in Lake Superior, leading researchers to speculate that water temperatures or other factors were holding back its spread there. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 July 2026 What is holding back Europe’s rearmament push Building the capacity Europe needs to ensure strategic autonomy has proved difficult. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 1 July 2026 But good for him for not holding back. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 17 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding back

Verb

The findings come as countries are determining how to put up guardrails around AI without impeding their ability to compete in the rapidly developing field.

— Didi Tang, Fortune, 16 July 2026
These vehicles were blocking and impeding fire operations, and several were non-operational and required tow truck assistance for removal.

— Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

Companies often measure past performance, stifling creativity and failing to predict future success.

— Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Unfortunately for them, passersby appeared to be much more concerned about the stifling 100-degree heat dome that settled over the city with particular ferocity.

— Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

Definition of stifling

Verb

Yet Cruz sees no time to waste, as non-revenue-generating sports continue to fold at universities big and small, hampering US competitiveness in Olympic sports.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 July 2026
Because the injection must then be sent (or pushed) to each specific target, the scale of the attack is limited, hampering mass exploits that hit the Internet at large.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

What is left of a sprawling state apparatus is capable of little more than paying poverty wages to its employees, running hospitals with dwindling supplies, and suppressing any popular challenge to the heirs of Chavez.

— Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026
The ground robots established a support-by-fire position, suppressing the Russian defenders and forcing them to remain under cover.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of suppressing

Verb

Still, they weren’t built for 2026, and playing in a minor-league park might be hindering their pitching development.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Meanwhile, most workers find themselves on the hook to fund more of their own retirement than their parents did and to pay more for their healthcare and insurance coverage, hindering their efforts to save for retirement.

— Kirk McClure, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Chewing involves biting or gnawing without necessarily swallowing.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Among our favorites are Quince’s airy linen midiskirt (available in petite sizes) and Abercrombie & Fitch’s high-rise cotton midi, which has a flowy silhouette that feels light without swallowing a shorter frame.

— Malia Griggs, Glamour, 15 July 2026

Definition of swallowing

Verb

Eric Silva isn’t even embarrassing them this season in the Tigers’ system over the Canha trade.

— Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Ukraine has carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Definition of embarrassing

Verb

Much of the penultimate episode is about tying up loose ends and spending some wholesome time together before the eliminations inevitably begin, and … honestly, everyone is just getting along pretty well.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 July 2026
From a customer standpoint, no traveler has ever chosen a flight based on who holds the title to the aircraft, so airlines quietly stopped tying up capital to own them.

— Mushfig Aliyev, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026