hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of; "Arrest the downward trend"; "Check the growth of communism in Sout East Asia"; "Contain the rebel movement"; "Turn back the tide of communism"
If you hold back or if something holds you back, you hesitate before you do something because you are not sure whether it is the right thing to do. The administration had several reasons for holding back Melancholy and mistrust of men hold her back
If you hold something back, you do not include it in the information you are giving about something. You seem to be holding something back
If you hold back something such as tears or laughter, or if you hold back, you make an effort to stop yourself from showing how you feel. She kept trying to hold back her tears I was close to tears with frustration, but I held back
An amount of money retained by a construction lender or owner until satisfactory completion of the work performed by a contractor
Portion of a construction loan withheld by a lender from a contractor until all construction work is satisfactorily completed or sufficient space is leased in a floor loan
keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool"
secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree"
To hold someone or something back means to prevent someone from doing something, or to prevent something from happening. Stagnation in home sales is holding back economic recovery Jake wanted to wake up, but sleep held him back
withhold, fail to provide; hesitate, avoid participation; restrain; retain ownership
If you hold something back, you keep it in reserve to use later. Farmers apparently hold back produce in the hope that prices will rise