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.
A 2025 Nature Reviews Materials review described direct seawater electrolysis as promising but still held back by corrosion, side reactions, metal precipitates, and limited lifetime.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
Redick held back tears when general manager Rob Pelinka presented him with the game ball in the locker room on March 31 and showed a video of Redick’s sons, Knox and Kai, congratulating their dad.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
U.S. jobless claims rose last week but remained relatively low as employers held back from widespread layoffs despite economic uncertainty tied to the war in Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
“The real-estate market is likely to remain held back by high home prices and mortgage rates for a while longer,” said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
Ugwu held back from reaching out to touch the cement wall, to see how different it would feel from the mud walls of his mother’s hut that still bore the faint patterns of molding fingers.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
