WordVale

hold back

to restrain; to hesitate

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to prevent something from happening or to delay something

2. (verb) to refrain from doing or saying something; to control yourself

3. (verb) to physically restrain or prevent someone from moving forward

Examples

• 1. Bad weather held back the construction project by several weeks.
• 2. She wanted to laugh but held back her feelings.
• 3. The security guards held back the crowd at the concert entrance.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

give up, go over, go through, hold on, iron out, keep up with