Crossword Genius

Holding back name for male leads to cursing (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

damning

'to cursing' is the definition.
('damn' can be a synonym of 'curse')

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for damning that I've seen before include "incriminating" , "Highly critical" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.