hold back

phrasal-verb
UK: /həʊld bæk/
US: /hoʊld bæk/

  1. To stop someone or something from moving forward or developing.

    1. I tried to hold back the dog, but he ran away.
    2. The bad weather is holding back our plans to visit London this summer.

  2. To control or hide your feelings.

    1. She had to hold back tears when she heard the news.
    2. He's holding back information about the accident, according to the police.

  3. To keep something for yourself; not to spend or use something.

    1. They decided to hold back some of the money for emergencies.
    2. The company is holding back investment until the economy improves significantly.

Synonyms

restrain suppress conceal reserve
hold back intransitive-verb

  1. To not do something because of fear or doubt.

    1. I didn't hold back and told him exactly what I thought.
    2. She didn't hold back in her criticism of the new policy in the meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "hold back" in English means: To stop someone or something from moving forward or developing., To control or hide your feelings., To keep something for yourself; not to spend or use something..

The phonetic transcription of "hold back" is /həʊld bæk/ in British English and /hoʊld bæk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "hold back": restrain, suppress, conceal, reserve.

Example usage of "hold back": "I tried to hold back the dog, but he ran away.". More examples on the page.