holdback 1 of 2

noun

ˈhōl(d)-ˌbak How to pronounce holdback (audio)
Definition of holdbacknext
1
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business there'll be a holdback on production until the new machinery is fully installed

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2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult the only holdback to starting the new job is my contractual commitment to my current position

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hold back

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to hamper
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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2
as in to stifle
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 holdback
Noun
Add curtain holdbacks with playful animal details, or top your door hinges with decorative hinge caps for a knowing wink of whimsy. — Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026 If the house is not sold after 180 days, the company retains what remains of the 30% holdback. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Chinese state media suggested the possibility of leveraging rare earths as retaliation, but Beijing still held back. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Soaring prices stemming from the conflict have forced African countries to keep interest rates elevated, holding back growth and adding to already high borrowing costs. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holdback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holdback
  1. delay
  2. obstacle
  3. hamper
  4. stifle
  5. wait
  6. hurdle
  7. impede
  8. suppress
Noun
  • The reduction will likely worsen existing delays and exacerbate transit fees, experts say.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The cost-sharing is scheduled to start in October 2027, though Congress has considered a delay.
    — Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Noun
  • Travelers leaving Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other territory in North Africa, are subject to exit checks at ports and airports, an obstacle for migrants who enter the territories illegally and hope to reach the European continent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The design is meant to move around any obstacles, including the free weights collection near your pilates mat, meaning no more sweaty spots in your home gym.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Likewise, when crime bosses become international liabilities that could hamper Beijing’s relations with other countries, or when their political patrons fall and there are fewer political costs to targeting them, Beijing will act.
    — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The administration’s postponement of a Food and Drug Administration rule hampered the food safety system, which hindered a response to the outbreak.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hamper
Verb
  • Elisabeth Wright Burak, a policy researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said Trump’s tax-and-spending law is stifling the momentum states had been gaining with maternal care since 2022.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Playing in the final group in stifling heat and the most wind all week, Scheffler matched the best score Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifle
Noun
  • People working within the club have been attempting to strengthen the squad to ensure there is not another 22-year wait for their next domestic title.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Australians, in a nation of 28 million people, face significant wait times for specialist appointments and specific diagnostic scans or elective surgeries, ranging from weeks to a year.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of wait
Noun
  • Russia's small and medium businesses already have been hit hard by tax increases, regulatory hurdles and, most recently, a fuel crisis from attacks on oil refineries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Harper Hutton, 12, of Aurora Flyers, placed second in the girls pentathlon high jump, fourth in the pentathlon 80-meter hurdles and pentathlon long jump and fifth in the girls pentathlon shot put.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurdle
Verb
  • Lynda Albertson, an art-crime analyst, said the works are instantly recognizable, impeding any effort to sell them through reputable channels.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Lynda Albertson, an art crime analyst, said the works are instantly recognizable, impeding any effort to sell them through reputable channels.
    — Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of impede
Verb
  • That combination, just like QIH, suppressed neuronal firing and stripped out a comparable share of synapses, but the mice came out of it with impaired fear memory.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Factors that put people at a higher risk of severe infection include being older than 60, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and being on immune system suppressing medication.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppress

Browse Nearby Words

holdalls
holdback
hold back
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Cite this Entry

“Holdback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holdback. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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