| / English Dictionary |
HOLD BACK
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Prevent the action or expression of
Example:
she struggled to restrain her impatience at the delays
Synonyms:
hold back; keep; keep back; restrain
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold back"):
hold (keep from exhaling or expelling)
blink; blink away; wink (keep back by blinking)
harness; rein; rule (keep in check)
baffle; regulate (restrain the emission of (sound, fluid, etc.))
swallow (keep from expressing)
confine (prevent from leaving or from being removed)
check; contain; control; curb; hold; hold in; moderate (lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Sense 2
Meaning:
Hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
Example:
Turn back the tide of communism
Synonyms:
arrest; check; contain; hold back; stop; turn back
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Hypernyms (to "hold back" is one way to...):
defend (be on the defensive; act against an attack)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold back"):
cut down; cut out (intercept (a player))
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Sense 3
Meaning:
Hold back; keep from being perceived by others
Example:
She conceals her anger well
Synonyms:
conceal; hold back; hold in
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold back"):
occult (hide from view)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sense 4
Meaning:
Secure and keep for possible future use or application
Example:
I reserve the right to disagree
Synonyms:
hold; hold back; keep back; retain
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Hypernyms (to "hold back" is one way to...):
hold on; keep (retain possession of)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold back"):
hold down (keep)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sentence example:
They hold back the money
Sense 5
Meaning:
Wait before acting
Example:
the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "hold back" is one way to...):
act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold back"):
hold out (wait uncompromisingly for something desirable)
delay (act later than planned, scheduled, or required)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing
Sentence example:
They hold back a long time
Sense 6
Meaning:
Refrain from doing
Example:
she forbore a snicker
Synonyms:
forbear; hold back
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "hold back" is one way to...):
forbear; refrain (resist doing something)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
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