HOLDBACKS Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

holdbacks

noun

plural of holdback

as in delays

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business there'll be a holdback on production until the new machinery is fully installed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in obstacles

something that makes movement or progress difficult the only holdback to starting the new job is my contractual commitment to my current position

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of holdbacks In reality, holdbacks are about risk allocation, indemnity or unresolved diligence items. — Mike McIsaac Cpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 And maybe this is an opportunity to voice something, and that is that independent films from the United States are more and more often being subjected to strategies which used to be dedicated to bigger, more commercial films, in terms of holdbacks. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 June 2026 Universities will continue to deal with the 3% holdbacks — plus another 2% drop — for next fiscal year, according to the statement of purpose for the appropriations bill that senators passed Thursday. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026 Add curtain holdbacks with playful animal details, or top your door hinges with decorative hinge caps for a knowing wink of whimsy. — Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holdbacks

Noun

The opening of the III Points fest sounded a sour note for thousands of fans who poured into Wynwood for a weekend of music only to experience ticketing issues, delays and chaos among the crowd.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of delays

Noun

Furthermore, the whiskers are in front, preventing the drone from detecting sideways obstacles like random jagged branches in a forest.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
The legal and political obstacles to taking custody of those assets for onward transfer to Ukraine may be too formidable to resolve in time to help Kyiv in the coming year.

— Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Noun

International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Long lines can be a strong deterrent to voting, especially for Black and Latino voters, who on average have experienced longer waits than white voters, according to a June 2020 report by the Brennan Center for Justice.

— TIME Staff, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of waits

Noun

The system enables robots to choose different ways of passing through tight spaces, including stepping over objects, ducking under barriers, and turning sideways to fit through narrow gaps.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Among the chief concerns for many stakeholders are the barriers to entry.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of barriers

Noun

Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of embarrassments

Browse Nearby Words

hold back

holdbacks

hold down

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Holdbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holdbacks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of holdbacks

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes