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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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, though, hasn’t held back a team who consistently punch above their weight, with the past seven seasons having all been spent in League One (and the two before that a tier higher in the Championship). — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 New equipment and technology have been installed in the temporary building rather than held back for the finished center. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Severe drought in 2022 on Lake Mead, which is held back by the Hoover Dam, exposed human remains and forced water officials in Las Vegas to pump water from deeper within the reservoir to continue to supply water to millions of people. — Ty O'Neil, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held back

Verb

Authorities immediately launched a rescue operation involving firefighters, police, the National Disaster Response Force and civic officials but efforts were hampered by narrow access lanes that prevented the use of heavy machinery, officials said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Recovery efforts for the spacecraft, known as Ship 40, have been hampered by challenging conditions and rough seas.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of hampered

Verb

Raman asserted that there have been only three Inside Safe operations in her district and that her committee has been stifled by inaction from the mayor.

— Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of stifled

Verb

But Oleh’s transition did more or less coincide with the Russian invasion, which has severely hindered his ability to live freely and openly at a time when men are expected to serve their country in the armed forces.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Yet, his need to send the company out in grand fashion is hindered by stuffing his own script like a duck due to become foie gras.

— Charles Lewis III, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of hindered

Verb

Hydrogen evolution is therefore suppressed, leaving more opportunity for CO₂-derived pathways that produce carbon monoxide and formate.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
And the nastiest errors of all, the bit-flips, are suppressed to around one in a million operations.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppressed

Verb

Nowhere is the gap between noise and signal wider than in the obsession that has swallowed every other story, which is AI.

— Nigel Morris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
In an exam room at City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago, Gardner shook three light blue pills out of a bottle and, sipping water, swallowed them one at a time.

— Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of swallowed

Verb

Also arguing the county obstructed the federal government's authority.

— Dennis Valera, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
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