From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhold back phrasal verb1 hold somebody/something ↔ backSTOP MOVING to make someone or something stop moving forward Police in riot gear held back the demonstrators.2 hold something ↔ backNOT DO something to stop yourself from feeling or showing a particular emotion She struggled to hold back her tears. Anger flooded through her. She couldn’t hold it back.3 hold somebody/something ↔ backPREVENT to prevent someone or something from making progress They felt the British economy was being held back by excessive government controls.4 hold (somebody) backWILLING to be unwilling to do something, especially because you are being careful, or to make someone unwilling to do something In the current situation many investors are holding back. She wanted to tell him but pride held her back.5 hold something ↔ backSECRET to keep something secret Tell me all about it – don’t hold anything back! → hold→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
hold back• Bill leapt to his feet to go after the girl, but the others held him back.• But reading the reports can provide reassurance that nothing was held back.• Once I had that suit, there was no holding back.• These warnings aside-and they're pretty obvious-don't hold back.• He wanted to tell her everything, but something made him hold back.• I wanted to laugh, but I managed to hold it back.• She struggled to hold her feelings back.• Sarah held back a sob of relief.• Riven held back as Bicker, Corrary and Isay piled into them.• Republicans have expressed interest in the plan but have held back from making a commitment.• Jack held back his tears and pretended not to be disappointed.• She always felt that being a woman had held her back in her career.• The poor economic situation has held back investment in new technology.• Was he holding back on something?• My father held me back, otherwise I would have rushed up onto the stage.• Like, holding back something valuable.• The police had already erected crash barriers to hold back the advancing crowds.• They put up huge barriers to hold back the crowd.• We can make some progress, but all we can do is hold back the forest destruction.• It is, to be sure, highly unlikely that superstars hold back their best ideas.hold somebody/something ↔ back• Its plush vegetation crowded the restraining fence that had been made strong, damned near impregnable, to hold it back.• No walls, no fences, nothing to hold him back.• Suddenly she holds some back as if still determined to drive the hardest possible bargain.• That wildfire feeling might have got a hold a month back, but it would not be allowed to do so again.• The whistle postponed it, held it back until announcing the morning shift at six.• I had to eat with one hand and hold the hair back with the other-it was so fiddly.hold something ↔ back• His wife had to hold him back.• Its plush vegetation crowded the restraining fence that had been made strong, damned near impregnable, to hold it back.• No walls, no fences, nothing to hold him back.• Suddenly she holds some back as if still determined to drive the hardest possible bargain.• That wildfire feeling might have got a hold a month back, but it would not be allowed to do so again.• I had to eat with one hand and hold the hair back with the other-it was so fiddly.hold somebody/something ↔ back• His wife had to hold him back.• Its plush vegetation crowded the restraining fence that had been made strong, damned near impregnable, to hold it back.• No walls, no fences, nothing to hold him back.• Suddenly she holds some back as if still determined to drive the hardest possible bargain.• That wildfire feeling might have got a hold a month back, but it would not be allowed to do so again.• The whistle postponed it, held it back until announcing the morning shift at six.• I had to eat with one hand and hold the hair back with the other-it was so fiddly.hold (somebody) back• His wife had to hold him back.• No walls, no fences, nothing to hold him back.• Suddenly she holds some back as if still determined to drive the hardest possible bargain.• That wildfire feeling might have got a hold a month back, but it would not be allowed to do so again.• The whistle postponed it, held it back until announcing the morning shift at six.• I had to eat with one hand and hold the hair back with the other-it was so fiddly.hold something ↔ back• His wife had to hold him back.• Its plush vegetation crowded the restraining fence that had been made strong, damned near impregnable, to hold it back.• Suddenly she holds some back as if still determined to drive the hardest possible bargain.• That wildfire feeling might have got a hold a month back, but it would not be allowed to do so again.• The whistle postponed it, held it back until announcing the morning shift at six. 