held back
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His death from leukaemia when she was just 13 had a profound effect on King, who also saw her mother held back by their circumstances.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
I cannot make the straight-faced argument that the worst “Scary Movies” were held back by their source material.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
It held back on striking Beirut due to pressure from the U.S., which is concerned such attacks could endanger its fragile cease-fire with Iran, until Thursday when the military said it conducted targeted strikes there.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Data centers are still being held back by energy, land, and building constraints.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
They said they loved each other, used “darling” and “dearest,” and knew their future was together, but they held back from wilder intimacies.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
