How to Use hold back in a Sentence

hold back

verb
Definition of hold backnext
Synonyms for hold backnext
  • Blake made safe choices and held back from challenging his vocal range, all while not quite hitting the right notes.
    — Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Investigators know how the man was killed but are holding back those details for now.
    — Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Celina was pregnant at the time and didn't hold back in jokingly attacking her then-boyfriend.
    — Adam England, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
  • The bystander attempted to hold back the 18-year-old, but he was stabbed in the arm, according to police.
    — Mike Stunson, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
  • In a sense, Joe Biden was trying to hold back the tide of history, pushing heavy furniture against the door of time, and now the flood has burst the windows.
    — David Von Drehle, Washington Post, 21 July 2024
  • Here’s a rundown of the major methods being developed to hold back the AI image apocalypse.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Big shifts in customer behavior, including earlier dinner times and less booze late into the evenings, have held back a return to pre-pandemic patterns.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
  • The frustrations are holding back businesses from widely releasing products that use the technology.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 July 2024
  • Advertisement On the other side of the net, UC Irvine players tried to hold back tears while wrapping each other in emotional embraces.
    — Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
  • Carmichael didn’t hold back throughout the rest of the show either.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 10 Jan. 2023
  • Watson mustn’t hold back or be afraid to rock the boat.
    — cleveland, 15 Jan. 2023
  • The Ravens will not hold back as many players this time.
    — The Enquirer, 11 Jan. 2023
  • Of course, Donna knew her son wouldn't hold back in front of Swift.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Her blond hair was glossy and straight, her bangs held back with a barrette.
    — Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
  • Even more than the clothes, the outrage brought out the fire in a band not known for holding back onstage.
    — Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Dec. 2023
  • But the Israelis did not view the deal as firm enough to hold back the invasion.
    — Peter Baker, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
  • The film, which features an all-Asian cast, does not hold back on the vulgar and obscene.
    — Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 7 July 2023
  • Don’t hold back or lose the hopes and expectations for the future.
    — Catherine Galassovigorito, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024
  • Two loops of these hair ties will hold back my hair—and not leave behind a telltale bend.
    — Talia Gutierrez, Allure, 26 June 2024
  • Flamini loves blues music, and her favorite songs help hold back her fear of the dark.
    — D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024
  • Crux produced 1,600 bottles and will hold back enough to serve at its tasting rooms through the year.
    — oregonlive, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Alcaraz nearly threw his racket to the ground but held back at the last moment.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023
  • The biggest challenge, as a Gazan journalist, is to stay calm and try to hold back my tears.
    — Anna Gordon, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
  • At times, Flav played with the beat of the song as some of the players and officials on the court held back chuckles, clearly moved.
    — Zoe Guy, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2023
  • Guests don’t have to hold back either, since the restaurant’s two big buffets are all-you-can-eat.
    — Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
  • The videos shared to her Story show her rocking a sheet mask and a headband to hold back her unruly locks.
    — Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2023
  • Even without the jury present, Sassoon did not hold back.
    — Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023
  • The scandals just can’t hold back a Golden Globes red carpet!
    — Vulture, 7 Jan. 2024
  • While there are many reasons people may want to hold back on that decision, about one-third of couples will have difficulties getting pregnant if the female partner is over 35.
    — Stephane Berneau, CNN, 31 July 2024
  • Governors traditionally achieve them by spreading the pain among dozens of state agencies, holding back a share of their allotments.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 22 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: