Hold Back (Verb)
Meaning 1
Hold back; keep from being perceived by others; "She conceals her anger well".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- She often tried to hold back her laughter during class so she wouldn't distract her classmates.
- He found it hard to hold back his tears when his favorite football team lost the final.
- She's very sensitive and can't hold back her emotions when someone hurts her feelings.
- The diplomats had to hold back their criticisms of the new policy in front of the journalists.
- After receiving the bad news, he struggled to hold back his temper and screamed at the wall.
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Meaning 2
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".
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The international community worked together to hold back the outbreak of a global pandemic by enforcing strict travel restrictions.
- The defense system was designed to hold back the invasion and protect the city from enemy forces.
- Economic sanctions were imposed on the country to hold back its military aggression and prevent further violence.
- The government struggled to hold back the rise of inflation and maintain a stable economy.
- Conservation efforts were made to hold back the destruction of the rainforest and preserve the natural habitat of endangered species.
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Meaning 3
Refrain from doing; "she forbore a snicker".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Examples
- During the meeting, the usually outspoken employee decided to hold back her opinion on the new policy.
- He tried to hold back his laughter when his friend's embarrassing joke fell flat.
- It was difficult to hold back tears as she listened to her favorite song that reminded her of her deceased loved one.
- She struggled to hold back her temper when her sibling broke her favorite vase.
- It took a great deal of self-control for her to hold back the truth about his surprise party.
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Meaning 4
Wait before acting; "the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Examples
- The commander instructed the troops to hold back until further orders were given.
- She was eager to start the project, but her manager advised her to hold back until all the details were finalized.
- The teacher asked the students to hold back from asking questions until she had finished explaining the lesson.
- The tourists were told to hold back from approaching the wildlife in the reserve to avoid any scares or accidents.
- The publicist counseled the company to hold back from releasing the statement until the crisis was fully assessed.
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Meaning 5
Prevent the action or expression of; "hold back your anger"; "keep your cool"; "she struggled to restrain her impatience at the delays".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- She struggled to hold back her tears as she watched the heartbreaking scene unfold before her eyes.
- He tried to hold back his laughter at the absurd joke but ended up bursting into giggles.
- It was getting increasingly difficult for her to hold back her temper with the customer's unreasonable demands.
- The instructor warned the students to hold back on the throttle to avoid losing control of the bike.
- She found it hard to hold back her excitement as she opened the envelope containing her university acceptance letter.
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Meaning 6
Secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The company will hold back a portion of your salary as tax deductions each month.
- Her older self taught her to hold back her words and think before speaking.
- They advised him to hold back his application until he gained more experience.
- We decided to hold back the funds until the project's viability was confirmed.
- The coach advised the team to hold back their energy for the final match.