Adjacent Words

hold back definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of; "Arrest the downward trend"; "Check the growth of communism in South East Asia"; "Contain the rebel movement"; "Turn back the tide of communism" [syn: check, turn back, arrest, stop, contain, hold back]
2: keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool" [syn: restrain, keep, keep back, hold back]
3: refrain from doing; "she forbore a snicker" [syn: forbear, hold back]
4: wait before acting; "the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment" [syn: wait, hold off, hold back]
5: secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree" [syn: retain, hold, keep back, hold back]
6: hold back; keep from being perceived by others; "She conceals her anger well" [syn: conceal, hold back, hold in]

Merriam Webster's

verb Date: 1535 transitive verb 1. a. to hinder the progress or achievement of ; restrain b. to keep from advancing to the next stage, grade, or level 2. to refrain from revealing or parting with <held back important information> intransitive verb 1. to keep oneself in check 2. to refrain from revealing or parting with something

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you hold back or if something holds you back, you hesitate before you do something because you are not sure whether it is the right thing to do. The administration had several reasons for holding back... Melancholy and mistrust of men hold her back. PHRASAL VERB: V P, V n P 2. To hold someone or something back means to prevent someone from doing something, or to prevent something from happening. Stagnation in home sales is holding back economic recovery... Jake wanted to wake up, but sleep held him back. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P 3. If you hold something back, you keep it in reserve to use later. Farmers apparently hold back produce in the hope that prices will rise. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P 4. If you hold something back, you do not include it in the information you are giving about something. You seem to be holding something back. PHRASAL VERB: V n P 5. If you hold back something such as tears or laughter, or if you hold back, you make an effort to stop yourself from showing how you feel. She kept trying to hold back her tears... I was close to tears with frustration, but I held back. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P, also V n P

Moby Thesaurus

abstain, abstain from, arrest, avoid, avoid excess, backpedal, backwater, begrudge, bit, block, bottle up, brake, bridle, check, clip the wings, close the hand, confine, conserve, constrain, contain, control, cool, cool off, countercheck, curb, curtail, dam up, damp, dampen, decelerate, delay, deny, detain, dispense with, do without, dompt, drag, draw rein, ease off, ease up, eat sparingly, eat to live, enjoin, eschew, exercise self-control, forbear, forgo, govern, grudge, guard, hinder, hold, hold aloof from, hold at bay, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash, hold off, hold out on, hold up, husband, impede, inhibit, intercept, interfere, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, keep, keep back, keep by one, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep in hand, keep in reserve, keep in store, keep on hand, keep out, keep under control, keep within bounds, keep within compass, keep within limits, lag, lay by, lay under restraint, let alone, let down, let go by, let up, live plainly, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, make late, meddle, moderate, mortify the flesh, never touch, not touch, not use, obstruct, oppose, pass up, preserve, prohibit, pull, pull in, put apart, put aside, put by, reef, refrain, refrain from, rein, rein in, relax, repress, reserve, resist, restrain, retain, retard, retrench, save, save up, scotch, set apart, set aside, set back, set by, shun, slack off, slack up, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, snub, spare, stand aloof from, stay, stop, straiten, suppress, take in sail, throttle down, waive, withhold