0 to stop someone or something developing or doing as well as they should: --
She felt that having children would hold her back.
1 If you hold someone or something back, you stop him, her, or it from coming or moving forward: --
Sandbags will hold the flood waters back for a while.
2 to prevent someone or something from changing, moving, or developing: --
What's holding back that company is a failure to consider the Internet as a market rather than as competition.
She hadn't got the promotion she wanted, and she accused her boss of holding her back.
NYA ORD
European
May 10, 2021
DAGENS ORD
Shimmer
hold sb/sth back