hold back (from (doing something))

to avoid doing something.

Unable to hold back, we screamed with laughter.

We were worried about viewers' reactions, so we held back from broadcasting the show.

• under heel
• under lock and key
• under no circumstances
• under nose
• under own steam
• under pain of death
• under shadow
• under someone's heel
• under someone's nose
• under someone's thumb
• under something's shadow
• under something's thumb
• under the banner of
• under the banner of something
• under the circumstances
• under the counter
• under the gun
• under the influence
• under the knife
• under the skin
• under the sun
• under the table
• under-the-table
• under the weather
• under the wing of