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
  • Women Want Choices—Let’s Give Them In highly regulated fields like healthcare, innovation can feel stifled.
    Mallory Walsh, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • But Schell worries that this mindset has stifled innovation, and prevented avalanche centers from discovering better models for funding and management.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of stifled
Verb
  • After the Korean War, the dictatorship suppressed those who participated in the human-rights and labor movements, or who called for democracy, by labelling them as Communists.
    Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
  • The final report touted how its work resulted in Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitting to Jordan that Facebook improperly bent to pressure from the Biden administration and suppressed content about COVID-19.
    Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 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
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of swallowed
Verb
  • Time and again, Israel deliberately obstructed or denied humanitarian aid to Gaza, ignoring pleas from the international community, humanitarian organizations, and even legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice to take immediate steps to avoid genocide.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Many also struggle with epiphora, where tear ducts are obstructed, resulting in constant eye discharge.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 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 28 Dec. 2024.

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