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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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 This is the same structural problem that has held back AI adoption in agriculture more broadly. —

Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 Security is a major concern for mining companies looking to enter DR Congo and has held back the development of extractive industries in Africa’s second-largest nation by land mass, which for years has fought rebels in the east of the country. —

semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back

Verb

The court issued a ruling that limits consideration of race in drawing voting maps — potentially a boon for Republicans, who have been hampered by the civil rights law in their attempt to redraw maps in Louisiana, Alabama and other states.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Connor McDavid looked ordinary at best, clearly hampered by his injury.

— Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026