hold sth back
— phrasal verb with hold uk/həʊld/us/hoʊld/verb held, held
C1 to keep information secret from someone deliberately
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Secrecy and privacy
- anonymity
- anonymize
- anonymous
- backroom
- backstage
- counsel
- dissimulate
- dissimulation
- entre nous
- executive privilege
- furtive
- lid
- lip
- privately
- privileged
- sanctum
- secrecy
- secret
- skeleton
- sweep
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C2 to stop yourself showing an emotion:
He spoke slowly, to hold back his growing anger.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Controlling emotions
- bottle
- bottle sth up
- brave
- breaking point
- choke
- choke sth back
- collected
- compose
- cork
- emotional blackmail idiom
- frustrated
- give voice to sth idiom
- gulp sth back
- harden
- repress
- repressed
- self-possession
- steadily
- swallow
- temper
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