hold 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.

“It kind of siphoned all of that pent-up, closeted stuff that you hold back, that you couldn’t freely express,” she said.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

Friar had to hold back tears in the office, she said in a 2023 Stanford Business School interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Ice shelves act as barriers that hold back Antarctica's inland glaciers and ice sheets.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

The main risk isn’t so much its direct exposure to precious-metals prices, but how sharply lower gold or silver prices might limit sentiment toward the asset class and hold back transaction volumes, affecting earnings.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Angie puts her hand over her mouth quick, I guess to hold back all her laughter.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée