HELD (BACK) Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

held back

verb

past tense of hold back

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stifled

to refrain from openly showing or uttering held back her tears until she was alone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of held back Sales, held back by supply chain headwinds for mechanical products in January and February, increased organically by 3%. —

CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026 The program all but eliminates the capital expenditure barrier that has historically held back geothermal systems. —

Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 Elite soccer clubs have the biggest global reach in sports, but the lack of cost controls and threat of relegation have held back valuation gains. —

Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2026 Lake Powell, held back by Glen Canyon Dam, supplies inexpensive and carbon-free electricity to more than 350,000 homes. —

ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Until this week, Newsom had held back from responding to Bianco’s controversial investigation into voter fraud, in which the Sheriff’s Department seized thousands of ballots in Riverside County. —

Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 The original law included a third-grade retention policy that granted several broad exemptions, including allowing parents to opt their children out of being held back. —

Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 During the show’s second hour, Guthrie went outside to thank the crowd and briefly held back tears. —

Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026 LeBron James looked on with his hands on his hips as the exchange continued, before Reaves, who was briefly held back by a staffer, walked away. —

Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back

Verb

There’s an iPad for everyone, but the platform as a whole has felt stuck for a long time, with fast and capable hardware hampered by software that doesn’t take full advantage of it.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
He’s since lost quickness and, because of his persistent injuries – he’s been hampered by hamstring issues over the last year and was questionable for Game 3 with calf tightness – never seems to have his full burst on the floor.

— Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026