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hold back

[/hoʊld bæk/]
phrasal verb
reter; conter; impedir
1. to prevent someone or something from moving forward or progressing
The police held back the crowd from entering the building.
A polícia reteve a multidão de entrar no prédio.
2. to refrain from expressing or revealing something
She held back her tears during the funeral.
Ela conteve as lágrimas durante o funeral.
3. to withhold information, money, or support
The company held back bonuses due to budget cuts.
A empresa reteve bônus devido aos cortes orçamentários.
4. to hesitate or be reluctant to do something
Don't hold back; tell me what you really think.
Não se retenha; diga-me o que você realmente pensa.
NYC Slang
don't hold out on me
Synonyms
restrainsuppresswithholdcontaininhibitrefrain
Antonyms
releaseexpressforwardadvancedivulge

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
reter; conter; impedir
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
segurar; conter
colloquial preference for 'segurar'
São Paulo
reter; impedir
formal business usage
Portugal
reter; conter; prender
European Portuguese preference for 'prender' in some contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

hold back the tide
hold back one's horses
nothing to hold back
let one's hair down (opposite meaning)
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