People hold back feelings or words when they keep them from being expressed. An obstacle can also hold someone or something back.

The idea

In neutral everyday English, a noun can follow the particle or come between the verb and particle: hold back the tears or hold the tears back. A pronoun must go between them: hold them back. Without an object, hold back means restrain yourself.

Examples

  • Mira held back her tears during the farewell.
  • Fear of failure held the musician back for years.
  • A lack of funding is holding back the project.
  • The team has a good idea, but outdated tools are holding it back.
  • I wanted to laugh, but I held back.
  • Please do not hold back your questions at the workshop.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not say hold back them: put the pronoun before back. The meaning depends on whether a feeling is restrained or progress is obstructed.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct option. The actor tried to hold ___ a smile. (back / out)

    Show answer or example answer

    back

    back completes the expression for restraining a smile.

  2. Choose the correct option. The old rules are holding ___ back. (us / we)

    Show answer or example answer

    us

    us is the object pronoun for the people affected by the rules.

  3. Choose the correct option. She held ___ when she heard the news. (back / off)

    Show answer or example answer

    back

    back shows that she restrained her response to the news.

Use it today

Describe a feeling you held back or an obstacle that held someone back.