holdback

[ hohld-bak ]

noun

1. the iron or strap on the shaft of a horse-drawn vehicle to which the breeching of the harness is attached, enabling the horse to hold back or to back the vehicle.
2. a device for restraining or checking, as a doorstop or tieback.
3. a stop or delay:

   a holdback in negotiations.

4. a withholding:

   the holdback of a day's pay.

5. something, as a planned expenditure or allotment, that is withheld or deferred.

Word History and Origins

Origin of holdback¹

First recorded in 1575–85; noun use of verb phrase hold back

Example Sentences

“We’re going to come out with a great product from a consumer experience perspective and that’s frankly the biggest holdback,” Wiedenfels said.

From Los Angeles Times

“There are some things that don’t — that we’re in conversation about with the studios on — but if we launched the product today, the members in the ad tier would have a great experience. We will clear some additional content, but certainly not all of it, but we don’t think it’s a material holdback to the business.”

From The Verge

“The market is still unsettled in a lot of ways, but in this case the simultaneous streaming, the holdback from a China release date and rampant piracy are hurting the film — badly.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Again, vaccine is the holdback right now. We need more vaccine than we’re receiving every week,” Gamett said.

From Washington Times

“The biggest holdback in general will still come down to labor scarcity to actually get those buildings built.”

From Seattle Times