hold back — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings

1 restrain emotionto stop yourself from showing your feelings, especially strong emotions like anger, sadness, or excitement
2 withhold informationto deliberately not share something, such as information, feelings, or opinions
3 impede progressto prevent someone or something from making progress, developing, or achieving their full potential, often used in reference to obstacles, limitations, or external factors.

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All meanings, in depth

Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.

restrain emotion

B1hold back sthMost common

to stop yourself from showing your feelings, especially strong emotions like anger, sadness, or excitement

She tried to hold back her tears during the sad movie.

A: Are you okay? You look upset.
B: I'm fine, just trying to hold back my emotions.

In stressful situations, I sometimes find it hard to hold back my frustration, especially when things don't go as planned.

Common mistake

✗He held his anger back inside.

✓He held back his anger.

'Hold back + emotion'. 'Inside' is redundant.

Tell it apart

She held back the tears.

restrained them

The injury held back his progress.

impeded it

Use 'hold back' when you want to say someone is trying not to show how they feel.Not the same as 'hold on' (wait) or 'hold up' (delay).

Often paired with

hold back + emotion

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withhold information

B2hold back sth

to deliberately not share something, such as information, feelings, or opinions

He didn't want to hold back any details from his team.

A: Did you tell your boss everything?
B: No, I held back some of the problems until I had a solution.

I believe it's important not to hold back your ideas in a group discussion, as sharing different opinions can lead to better results.

Common mistake

✗Don't hold back nothing.

✓Don't hold anything back. / Don't hold back.

Avoid the double negative — 'don't hold anything back'.

Tell it apart

I think she's holding something back.

withholding info

She held back her tears.

restrained emotion

Use 'hold back' when someone is not telling everything they know or feel.Different from 'hold off', which means to delay doing something.

Often paired with

hold back + info

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impede progress

C1hold back sth

to prevent someone or something from making progress, developing, or achieving their full potential, often used in reference to obstacles, limitations, or external factors.

A lack of investment is holding back the country's economic growth.

A: Why hasn't the team finished the project yet?
B: Honestly, outdated software has really held them back.

While many factors contribute to educational inequality, it is often a lack of resources that holds back students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Common mistake

✗Don't let fear to hold you back.

✓Don't let fear hold you back.

After 'let', use the bare verb — 'let fear hold you back', not 'to hold'.

Tell it apart

Don't let it hold you back.

limit your progress

Don't hold back — tell me.

withhold / restrain

'Hold back' in this sense is commonly used in academic, business, and formal discussions to describe factors that limit progress or development. It does not refer to physical restraint or withholding information, but rather to obstacles or barriers to success.Unlike the B1 sense ('restrain emotion'), this sense is not about controlling feelings. Unlike the B2 sense ('withhold information'), it does not involve deliberately keeping something secret. Here, 'hold back' refers to something that prevents progress or achievement.

Often paired with

hold + back

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restrain emotion withhold information impede progress