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Definition of "holdback" [hold•back]

  • The act of holding back. (noun)
  • Something held back. (noun)
  • A device that retains or restrains. (noun)
  • A strap or an iron catch between the shaft and the harness on a drawn wagon, allowing the horse to stop or back up. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "holdback" in a sentence
  • "Find out the dealer holdback, which is often substantial."
  • "We feel confident about this receivable as it's with a low-risk client and equates to just a 4% holdback, which is typical for the U.S. government contracts."
  • "It said an "unexpected attempt" by its principal credit-card processor to substantially increase a "holdback" of customer receipts threatened Frontier's liquidity."