Hold back time — the price? (6)
I believe the answer is:
damage
'the price?' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'hold back time' is the wordplay.
'hold back' becomes 'dam' (I've seen this in other clues).
'time' becomes 'age' (an age is a period of time).
'dam'+'age'='DAMAGE'
(Other definitions for damage that I've seen before include "Deface, break" , "Impairment, injury" , "Harm, impair" , "destruction" , "Detrimental effect" .)