as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
Verb
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The judge had postponed her sentencing until after the trial, delaying it further until after Serafini was sentenced.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026 -
The union encouraged members to remove personal belongings from the workplace, schedule any medical, dental or vision appointments, refill prescriptions with 90-day supplies and postpone major purchases or financial obligations until an agreement is reached.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Democrats would also be allowed to bring up an indefinite number of amendments on any subject, forcing Republicans to take hard votes in an election year and delaying the process even more.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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The airframe is currently scheduled to remain in service until at least 2050, and upgrade programs are constantly being delayed.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But there have also been recent moments when Eklund has deferred a bit too often, opting for an extra pass when a shot on net would have been the better option.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Health policy experts say the federal government's actions to withhold and defer funding break with normal fraud-handling precedent.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is a great sign, seeing as Reflect Orbital's ultimate hope is to put over 50,000 satellites in Earth orbit by the year 2035.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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When the rudder is put over, the stern swings out first, so that if the vessel is in restricted waters, trying to avoid something ahead can result in hitting something behind.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hold off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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