held back

verb

Definition of held backnext
past tense of hold back
1
as in hampered
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
2
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering held back her tears until she was alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back
  1. stifled
  2. suppressed
  3. impeded
  4. swallowed
  5. obstructed
Verb
  • The duo along with Josh Hart stifled the Thunder, holding them to 8-of-21 shooting in the second quarter.
    James L. Edwards III, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
  • When his scoring is stifled, Edwards will often lose focus in other areas.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of stifled
Verb
  • Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.
    Brandon Taylor, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.
    Howard LaFranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of suppressed
Verb
  • Late in the game, #63 of the Baltimore Colts threw a great block that impeded two of the Giants defenders to spring Alan Ameche (#35) for a long gain.
    Drew Carberry, Baltimore Sun, 22 Dec. 2024
  • In addition to extreme weather conditions, the cast and crew had to contend with various Hollywood strike shutdowns that impeded filming.
    Dana Feldman, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of impeded
Verb
  • But when they're swallowed, those beads quickly expand to many times their original size, causing bowel blockages.
    Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Tiny batteries used to power items like remote controls or small electronic toys are extremely dangerous if swallowed.
    Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of swallowed
Verb
  • But there are still 5,000 seats that have obstructed views.
    Scott Powers, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Such large-scale research has been difficult, particularly during the most deadly waves of the pandemic when clinic restrictions and medical emergencies obstructed consistent testing.
    Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of obstructed
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near held back

held a candle to

held back

held down

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Held back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20back. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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