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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 Shailene Woodley’s stylist isn’t holding back after the actress’s Emmys look caused a stir on social media. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026 Logs can do the job of beaver dams holding back and spreading a stream. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Nine weeks before the midterms, House Republicans aren’t holding back their criticism of the president’s latest tariff moves. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026 In 2023, thawing permafrost led to a rock collapse into South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, India, generating a wave that burst through the moraine holding back the glacial lake. — Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026 Iris Skrami, chief executive officer of Renoon, said many companies are still holding back on their DPP work. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026 The figure was significantly higher than analysts’ 44% estimate, but Huang and Nvidia CFO Colette Kress specified that there were still heavy supply constraints holding back the $5 trillion chipmaker. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 According to the Pew Research Center, roughly one in four Americans 50 and older has used a dating app or site — and women in midlife aren’t holding back. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Aug. 2026 Marsh was a fearless critic, rarely holding back even with his most caustic and controversial views. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding back

Verb

In addition, casualties are disproportionately concentrated in rural areas, and the lack of fuel is impeding the harvest.

— Regina Smyth, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2026
Materials such as Nafion can densely surround catalysts at the nanoscale, impeding the rapid transport of protons to reaction sites.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

While a label like ‘woman’ has always felt stifling and strange, ‘daughter’ doesn’t carry that heaviness.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
The reform plans include a potentially painful overhaul of the creaking pension system, a reduction of Germany’s stifling bureaucracy and cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of stifling

Verb

Davis was unable to hear my questions, which required me to hold them up to the screen, hampering back-and-forth response.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

In fact, El Nino is directly responsible for suppressing Atlantic hurricanes, and guess what?

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Other immune-suppressing medicines for serious systemic disease can include CellCept (mycophenolate), Azasan (azathioprine), or cyclophosphamide.

— Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of suppressing

Verb

However, in a person with PCD, those threadlike structures can beat abnormally, hindering airway clearance and contributing to recurrent respiratory infections.

— Molly Finlay, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
The motion helpfully offers an example of how a hindering information document could have been properly written.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Gap’s barrel jeans provide that feature without swallowing my short frame, as some wide-legs jeans do.

— Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026
On Tuesday, September 8, a massive, 30-by-30-foot sinkhole opened directly in front of a Malibu oceanfront home reportedly belonging to Cage, swallowing his driveway whole.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of swallowing

Verb

Neither party acted on it; Republicans wanted to avoid embarrassing Trump, while Democrats wanted to avoid embarrassing Nancy Pelosi, whose husband is an active trader.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
Since then, Hochman has been slammed for playing politics, embarrassing his office and even backing down for no reason other than the pressure was too intense.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of embarrassing

Verb

The henchmen are tying up loose ends after eliminating Kerry’s father, who informed on the Gotham crew to avoid serving his prison sentence.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2026
For the people who loved the Detroit native and aspiring actress -- her mother, Katie Mattic, and sisters Jean Neal, Frances Douglas, Vivian Mattic and Virgie Binford -- that means tying up the loose ends of Margaret's life.

— Nicole Avery Nichols, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026