held off

Definition of held offnext
past tense of hold off
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off
Verb
  • Sunset and the other arteries became metal chokepoints; engines were rerouted or turned back.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
  • But now the cameras have been turned back on them.
    Craig Spencer, STAT, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • The inconvenience of that military presence has brought certain compensations from the government, such as a strikingly modern, geometric contemporary art museum (Nagi MOCA) that draws visitors not put off by the arduous journey required to get there.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
  • Commissioner Jessica Vasquez requested the AI proposal be deferred, likely putting off consideration for at least one month.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • And even then, access isn’t guaranteed; capacity limits can still leave you waiting or turned away.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
  • Patrick Schulte turned away three shots for Columbus (3-6-3).
    CBS New York Team, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero.
    Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
  • Pike was in a relationship with Joe Wright, her Pride & Prejudice director, but the couple broke off their engagement in 2008.
    John Russell, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • While Senate passage of the ROAD to Housing Act is a positive development, time and time again, the forces that support NIMBYism have resisted the carrot approach.
    Michael Schill, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • Workers resisted him with false reports of incompetence, machine sabotage, and especially social pressure—something that worked on new recruits but not on Taylor himself.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • According to Bette, the current cycle is demonstrating a similar pattern where demand is deferred rather than destroyed.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • Clarke's cause of death is deferred, the medical examiner's office said on its website.
    Charmaine Patterson, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • All Democrats opposed the nominations.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 16 May 2026
  • The new space was 4,000 square feet(as opposed to the original space’s 800) with a full bar and a larger kitchen.
    Amy Reyes, Miami Herald, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • Alabama Republicans postponed four House primaries after the Supreme Court curtailed the Voting Rights Act, and now intend to run the November elections on a friendlier map.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
  • The Frost actually got an extra day off for Game 5, which was postponed a day because multiple players on the Victoire battled an undisclosed illness.
    Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 17 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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