1
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the only thing holding them back from joining the swim team is lack of transportation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
held back her tears until she was alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of held back
Conversely, the electric guitar is held back by the lack of stereo separation, as is the fiddle in turn.
—
Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
According to the federal indictment, the state agency had already held back more than $122,000 from this contractual agreement.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
The series, starring Morris Chestnut, was initially held back for another midseason run on Sundays before being summoned to the fall schedule to fill in for the delayed CIA, landing behind FBI on Mondays.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The airline’s efforts to revive services have been held back by the closure of Qatar’s airspace, alongside the company’s heavier dependence on long-haul corridors that remain constrained.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
Both global and European population ebbed and flowed from generation to generation, but fundamentally remained static across centuries, held back by truly ferocious rates of infant, childhood, and maternal mortality.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Consumer sentiment has been generally poor, held back primarily by those at the lower end of the income spectrum who are hit particularly hard by higher prices.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Two-thirds of children who were held back had summer birthdays between June and August — near the kindergarten enrollment cutoff dates in most states — and would have been young for their grade.
—Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
The tide, however, has turned around since 2024 after former ECB President Mario Draghi’s report for the European Commission, which argued that Europe’s economy is being held back by outdated competition rules.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
According to the federal indictment, the state agency had already held back more than $122,000 from this contractual agreement.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
The series, starring Morris Chestnut, was initially held back for another midseason run on Sundays before being summoned to the fall schedule to fill in for the delayed CIA, landing behind FBI on Mondays.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The airline’s efforts to revive services have been held back by the closure of Qatar’s airspace, alongside the company’s heavier dependence on long-haul corridors that remain constrained.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
Both global and European population ebbed and flowed from generation to generation, but fundamentally remained static across centuries, held back by truly ferocious rates of infant, childhood, and maternal mortality.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Consumer sentiment has been generally poor, held back primarily by those at the lower end of the income spectrum who are hit particularly hard by higher prices.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Two-thirds of children who were held back had summer birthdays between June and August — near the kindergarten enrollment cutoff dates in most states — and would have been young for their grade.
—Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
The tide, however, has turned around since 2024 after former ECB President Mario Draghi’s report for the European Commission, which argued that Europe’s economy is being held back by outdated competition rules.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back
Verb
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Vertical living green walls comprised of live plants are a natural energy-saving method for improving indoor air quality and enhancing interior design, but they're hampered by inconsistent performance.—
Shirl Leigh
April 03,
New Atlas,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Even if companies wanted to spend irresponsible amounts of money on AI compute, they’ve been hampered by supply chain constraints.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Angels’ offense was stifled in a 10-inning, 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners during their home opener Friday night in front of 44,931 fans at Angel Stadium.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Academic journals struggled to put out issues, stifled by high printing costs and staff layoffs, scrounging for enough articles to fill their pages and paying subscribers to read them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Noem's contract review policy disproportionately hindered FEMA, which awards massive contracts and funds disaster aid projects that frequently exceed $100,000.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
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However, a budget managed by Congress with limited long-term visibility, coupled with a slow contracting process hindered by bureaucracy, creates some roadblocks.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That melatonin your brain just started producing gets suppressed again immediately.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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That means speech around controversial issues, diet and fitness, mental health topics, sexuality, and much more will be suppressed.—
Elizabeth Nolan Brown,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At other events, RAM's compassion is impeded by red tape.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Beyond the Cal/OSHA investigation, which has not previously been detailed publicly, attorneys for the state allege the Sheriff’s Department has impeded the workplace safety inquiry and refused to hand over vital documents, according to court filings in an ongoing dispute between the two agencies.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Aden alone, the count is in the hundreds — most of them swallowed by a secret prison network managed by the UAE and its affiliated forces, where torture, beatings and abuse were common, according to the Yemeni government, human rights organizations and the United Nations.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Another recall targeted Sunnyyes LED mini lights, which were sold on Amazon between March 2024 and March 2026, and contain coin batteries that can be easily accessed and then potentially swallowed.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bruce Jay Parker had always been quirky, in ways that generally delighted his friends and acquaintances, and frequently embarrassed his wife and two daughters.—
Ashley Parker,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Yankees embarrassed the San Francisco Giants on the road to begin the 2026 MLB season.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors said Insua’s view was obstructed by the cargo, a deckhouse and crane on the barge.—
David Goodhue,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Full-palm tactile sensing allows the robot to continue manipulating objects even when cameras are obstructed or when precise force control is required, such as in assembly tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20back. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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