hold someone back

hold someone back
keep someone back & hold someone back
1. Lit. to restrain people from moving forward or getting in the way. •

The police were ordered to keep people back so they wouldn't interfere with the paramedics.

2. Fig. to keep a child in the same grade for an extra year. •

We asked them to keep John back a year.

John was kept back a year in school.

3. Fig. to keep someone from advancing in life. •

I think that your limited vocabulary is keeping you back.

Her lack of computer skills kept her back in her career.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • hold someone back — HINDER, hamper, impede, obstruct, check, curb, block, thwart, baulk, hamstring, restrain, frustrate, stand in someone s way. → hold …   Useful english dictionary

  • hold someone/something back — prevent or restrict the advance, progress, or development of someone or something Jane struggled to hold back her laughter ■ hold something back refuse or be unwilling to make something known you re not holding anything back from me, are you? …   Useful english dictionary

  • hold sb back — UK US hold sb/sth back Phrasal Verb with hold({{}}/həʊld/ verb (held, held) ► to prevent someone or something from changing, moving, or developing: »She hadn t got the promotion she wanted, and she accused her boss of holding her back. »What s… …   Financial and business terms

  • hold sth back — UK US hold sb/sth back Phrasal Verb with hold({{}}/həʊld/ verb (held, held) ► to prevent someone or something from changing, moving, or developing: »She hadn t got the promotion she wanted, and she accused her boss of holding her back. »What s… …   Financial and business terms

  • It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back — Studio album by Public Enemy Released …   Wikipedia

  • hold — 1 verb past tense and past participle held IN YOUR HANDS/ARMS 1 a) (T) to have something firmly in your hand or arms: He was holding a knife in one hand. | Can you hold the groceries for me while I open the door? | I held the baby in my arms. |… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • hold back — verb 1. hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of (Freq. 4) Arrest the downward trend Check the growth of communism in South East Asia Contain the rebel movement Turn back the tide of communism • Syn: ↑check, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • hold — hold1 [hōld] vt. held, holding [ME holden < Anglian OE haldan (WS healdan), akin to Ger halten, Goth haldan, to tend sheep < IE base * kel , to drive, incite to action > Gr kelēs, swift horse, L celer, swift: prob. sense development:… …   English World dictionary

  • back — back1 [bak] n. [ME bak < OE baec; akin to ON bak, OHG bahho] 1. the part of the body opposite to the front; in humans and many other animals, the part to the rear or top reaching from the nape of the neck to the end of the spine 2. the… …   English World dictionary

  • hold — hold1 W1S1 [həuld US hould] v past tense and past participle held [held] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(in your hand/arms)¦ 2¦(event)¦ 3¦(keep something in position)¦ 4¦(job/title)¦ 5¦(keep/store)¦ 6¦(keep something available for somebody)¦ 7¦(keep somebody… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • hold — hold1 [ hould ] (past tense and past participle held [ held ] ) verb *** ▸ 1 carry ▸ 2 stop someone/something from moving ▸ 3 put arms around someone ▸ 4 (be able to) contain ▸ 5 have ▸ 6 continue in same state ▸ 7 keep/stop something ▸ 8 not… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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