Cynthia released the tears she'd held in check.
They feared her, and this was what kept them in check.
You know how you need to keep your fangs in check when you're with someone and things get steamy?
Let me see if I can make sense of this for you… I have been fighting very hard to keep my feelings in check so as not to scare you away.
No, he'll just have to keep his temper in check for a while until he is used to it.