as in to hold back
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottle (up)
Verb
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This is the same structural problem that has held back AI adoption in agriculture more broadly.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026 -
Ukraine has developed cutting-edge and battle-tested drone technology that has proved essential in holding back Russia’s bigger army and has drawn military interest from around the world.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eric’s feisty, and Ozzie is really measured.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The data is fairly precise, measured to within 3 meters every 2 minutes based on the Global Positioning System, Bluetooth beacons, cell phone towers and local wi-fi networks.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lawyers and doctors can lose their licenses to practice, insider traders can be barred from the financial industry, public officials stripped of committee assignments, and dangerous speeding drivers should have their bad habit curbed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Your wife won’t curb this bad habit until she’s forced to do so.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bottle (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottle%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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