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 In the first quarter of 2026, when Honeywell Aerospace was still part of the Honeywell conglomerate, the company’s sales were held back by supply shortages for mechanical products. — Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026 Sometimes, the wisest career decision is to acknowledge that a leader won't improve and move on, as careers thrive when employees aren't held back by consistently poor leadership. — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 As chair, Wicks has outsized influence over whether a bill gets held back, and the Appropriations Committee can do so without offering a public explanation. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 Crump said this could be because parts were held back by the medical examiner in the first autopsy, which Mitchell explained was common while undergoing further testing. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026 Toure was knocked down briefly after his play and had to be held back by team personnel from joining in on the celebration after Fitzgerald’s interception. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026 Skeptics have argued that generous welfare benefits and the resulting high taxes have held back the Nordic economies. — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 The funds will be held back from schools until early next year, when California’s new governor can reassess the financial landscape with a clearer picture of revenues. — Charlie Borla, Oc Register, 9 July 2026 But Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Stjepan Radelijic held back Sergiño Dest just outside the box, forcing the referee to pull out a yellow card and give the USMNT a grade-A opportunity to pull away a bit in the 80th minute. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back

Verb

Delays in contact tracing, difficulties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities, and violence by armed groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC has said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
But two separate hamstring injuries hampered any chance of a call-up for Ryan, who is also nearly two years past Tommy John surgery.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of hampered

Verb

In the late 1800s however, the Chinese Exclusion Act stifled the thriving community, and other immigrant communities began to make their mark on Gilroy.

— Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Corporate employees often have income growth that can be stifled or even capped.

— Seth Lederman, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of stifled

Verb

Aid organizations have said that community mistrust, insecurity due to armed conflict, and gaps in healthcare have hindered response and containment efforts.

— Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 July 2026
The suspense grows more effective past the one-hour mark, once Dama takes control of the narrative, with Irina, Rosa and Giulia variably helped and hindered by her steely mechanizations.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of hindered

Verb

In July, the Ukrainian air force reported a Russian missile failure rate -- including munitions that were intercepted, suppressed or failed to reach their targets -- of around 58%.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
The platinum-chromium pairs greatly suppressed both of these deactivation pathways, allowing the catalyst to remain active for longer.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppressed

Verb

Folks who are hundreds of miles away from the forest are impeded by wildfire smoke.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026
The report goes on to say that when the victim intervened and put the dog in its crate, Monasterio turned on her, repeatedly punching her and placing both hands around her neck, squeezing until her breathing was impeded.

— Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Definition of impeded

Verb

From across the street, Yñiga’s view grew increasingly obstructed, first by an ambulance, then a parade of menacing black SUVs, and finally a van that disgorged a reporter and a yawning cameraman.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
The path to collective bargaining will be slow, dark and obstructed by institutions that benefit from dividing players by team, conference, sport, class year and state law.

— Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026