1 B1 neutral
To physically stop someone or something from moving forward or advancing.
"Police held back the crowd as the president's motorcade passed."
separable
hold back
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To restrain someone or something, to prevent progress, or to stop oneself from expressing feelings or information.
In plain English
To stop someone or something from moving forward, or to stop yourself from saying or feeling something.
What does "hold back" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To stop yourself from expressing an emotion or saying something, often with effort.
"She held back her tears until she was alone in the car."
“
I had to hold back tears during the farewell speech.
— Michelle Obama, Becoming (2018, paraphrased widely in reviews)
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To withhold information, details, or the truth from someone.
"The investigation revealed that officials had been holding back crucial evidence."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic neutral
To prevent someone or something from developing or making progress.
"Fear of failure is holding back a lot of talented people."
“
Nothing is going to hold us back.
— Barack Obama, 2008 Presidential Campaign speech (widely quoted)
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To pull or keep something back from moving forward — the physical sense is transparent.
Actually means
To stop someone or something from moving forward, or to stop yourself from saying or feeling something.
Usage tip
One of the most versatile 'hold' phrasal verbs. Can refer to physical restraint, emotional suppression, withholding information, impeding progress, or keeping a student back a school year (US education). Very common across all registers.
Words that pair with "hold back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
tears emotions progress information crowd student feelings
How to conjugate "hold back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hold back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
holds back
he/she/it
Past simple
held back
yesterday
Past participle
held back
have + pp
-ing form
holding back
continuous
Hear "hold back" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hold back" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.