hold back
Phrasal verbto stop yourself from expressing how you really feel; to prevent sb / sth from moving forward or crossing sth; to hesitate or to make sb hesitate to act or speak; to prevent the progress or development of sb / sth
Heard in 40 moviesMeaning
Meaning
Oxford43% of films
to stop yourself from expressing how you really feel
Oxford29% of films
to prevent sb / sth from moving forward or crossing sth
Oxford7% of films
to hesitate or to make sb hesitate to act or speak
Oxford7% of films
to prevent the progress or development of sb / sth
In the movies · 40
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From the same entry
Definitions from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 9th edition
Shall we hold back the second wave, sir?
1917 (2019)98:57
Said in 8 films · #1