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
The reduction in state investments and holding back promised funding to cover our faculty raises will have detrimental consequences to our institution, to us as students, and to the state’s future health care workforce. — Opinion, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026 Sagal didn’t hold back with her reply, getting Danson a little flustered. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 5 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
  • Airlines around the world are currently plagued by delays in their efforts to deliver new premium offerings — including increasing passenger demand for privacy, high-tech connectivity and inflight entertainment — to meet the surge in air travel.
    — Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The delay will give the city more time to consider employee parking, parking demand and other ways to get downtown.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Noun
  • When children are experiencing poor educational outcomes, at what point does opposition to an alternative become an obstacle to giving families another opportunity?
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Kids today face tremendous obstacles, but perhaps because of the pandemic, many, like Keira, are well-rounded and involved in work, school, extracurricular activities and devoted to their friends and family.
    — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Collapsed buildings East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko said power outages hampered the spread of information about the impact of the earthquake in cities and villages, complicating search and rescue efforts.
    — Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The attack is hampered further by uncertainty over when left-winger Kaoru Mitoma will be available to return from hamstring surgery.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 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
  • Ukraine's air force said Russian forces launched several missiles and 106 drones into the country in its latest barrage, of which three missiles and 85 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Mulch also helps suppress weeds and dissuades strawberry pests like slugs.
    — Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 14 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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