hold back tears
No podía contener las lágrimas.
I couldn't hold back the tears.
No es mejor actor el que llora, sino el que lucha por contener las lágrimas.
The better actor isn’t the one who cries, but the one who struggles to hold back the tears.
— Dolor y gloria (2019)
Tom no pudo contener las lágrimas.
Tom couldn't hold back his tears.
No pude contener las lágrimas.
I couldn't hold back the tears.