1
as in turning back
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2
as in putting off
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off
Verb
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The semifinals at the Ford Center in Frisco are wrapping up, and the day delivered everything from near‑upsets to a Grand Slam champion turning back the clock.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026 -
The rise of artificial intelligence is inevitable, and there is no turning back.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Among life’s great procrastinations, putting off making a will seems to top insignificant things like delaying cleaning the house or starting a homework assignment.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Mahomes on Wednesday accidentally got Chiefs fans excited about Kelce putting off retirement and returning for one more season.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But these restrictions aren’t new, and even experts intimately familiar with GRFP don’t understand why NSF is currently turning away students.—
Jonathan Wosen,
STAT,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While that thankfully hasn't been the case this year, the county did have a hit-and-run involving a semi breaking off a snowplow mirror.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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In that unlikely scenario, there would be a risk of debris breaking off the asteroid and hitting Earth.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the city well behind its housing goals and high construction costs shelving efforts to build, San Jose is considering expanding financial incentives to spur the next wave of development projects.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
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The fiscal rationale for shelving the bill was never persuasive.—
Jeffrey Prang,
Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cases of norovirus were identified among Team Finland, the International Olympic Committee said last week, postponing a women’s ice hockey game with Canada.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This biological bonding process creates natural mineral compounds, transforming bulky landfill waste into high-performance insulation capable of withstanding extreme heat up to 1,000°C (1,832°F).—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Other components, such as competitiveness, being hard on pucks and withstanding physicality, may just be a matter of on-the-job NHL training.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Patients in Minnesota are canceling appointments and deferring critical health care needs because of fear of immigration enforcement as the federal crackdown continues, doctors say.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Just as financial advisors recommend deferring enough into a 401(k) plan to benefit from your employer's full matching contribution, there is no reason to pass this free money up.—
Jessica Dickler,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Holding off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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