Phrasal Verbs
- 1 to prevent somebody/something from moving forward or crossing something The police were unable to hold back the crowd. The dam was not strong enough to hold back the flood waters.
- 2 to prevent the progress or development of somebody/something Do you think that mixed-ability classes hold back the better students? We are determined that nothing should hold back the peace talks.
- 1 to not tell somebody something they want or need to know to hold back information I think he's holding something back. I'm sure he knows more than he admits.
- 2 to stop yourself from expressing how you really feel She just managed to hold back her anger. He bravely held back his tears.
to hesitate or to make somebody hesitate to act or speak She held back, not knowing how to break the terrible news. I wanted to tell him the truth, but something held me back.
