Verb (5-dan, る, intransitive)
1. to stay on; to remain; to hold out; to hold one's ground
俺たちはここで踏みとどまって最後まで戦うぞ！We'll hold our ground here and fight to the end!
2. to stop (doing); to give up
よっぽどそう言おうかと思ったが、踏みとどまった。I was sorely tempted to say so, but I held back.