hold off
verb
held off; holding off; holds off
1
: to block from an objective : delay
2
: to defer action on : postpone
hold off a decision
3
: to fight to a standoff : withstand
: to defer or temporarily stop doing something
Synonyms
Examples of hold off in a Sentence
we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along
Recent Examples on the Web
He was allowed a pause in the trial to attend his son’s high school graduation, and the judge has held off jailing him for contempt of court, despite multiple violations of a gag order on him.
—
Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2024
That indicates a shift in buyers, as people who have held off on buying a car in the last few years are finally taking the plunge.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Aberdeen 6, Perryville 4: The Eagles took control with four runs in the fourth inning and held off the Panthers’ late rally.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
At the time, his unit had been holding off a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region.
—Paul Sonne, New York Times, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold off 
Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2024
That indicates a shift in buyers, as people who have held off on buying a car in the last few years are finally taking the plunge.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Aberdeen 6, Perryville 4: The Eagles took control with four runs in the fourth inning and held off the Panthers’ late rally.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
At the time, his unit had been holding off a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region.
—Paul Sonne, New York Times, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hold off
Cite this Entry
“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
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