holds off

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold off
1
as in stands off

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in puts off

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds off
  1. turns away
  2. puts off
  3. turns back
  4. breaks off
  5. resists
  6. shelves
  7. withstands
  8. defers
Verb
  • Continue reading … SERVICE REFUSED — Backlash erupts after Florida parlor turns away veterans and active-duty members.
    — , FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026
  • Get it before this deal turns away from your doorstep.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of turns away
Verb
  • When a leader puts off a decision, the people around them feel the pause first.
    — Mohamed AL Hashemi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • The longer Congress puts off reckoning with these problems, the more difficult the solutions will be.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Definition of puts off
Verb
  • An exhibit celebrating the Metro’s rail system turns back time with its vintage 1970s railcar.
    — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Definition of turns back
Verb
  • According to the reports, the malfunctions occurred during the ride's signature ‘tilt' portion, where the segment of track containing the ride vehicle breaks off completely and tilts forward 45 degrees before reconnecting to another piece of track at a 90-degree angle to the ground below.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
  • If the mouthpiece breaks off, try to remove it without digging into the skin.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
Definition of breaks off
Verb
  • The episodes bounce between periods as Angelyne tries new ventures (a music career) and resists others (a Playboy photoshoot), all while avoiding the journalist (Alex Karpovsky) and documentarian (Lukas Gage) trying to uncover her origin story.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
  • The book, like the exhibition, is overwhelming, resists linear reading, and purposefully drives the observer into a state of disorientation.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of resists
Verb
  • Clean the wood cabinet doors monthly and the interior shelves every three to six months.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The result was a fun cameo arc that ends on the image of Scorsese breaking down in tears after Matt shelves the iconic director’s dream project to save his own job — a turn that earned Scorsese his first acting nomination.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
Definition of shelves
Verb
  • Each rocker is made from all-weather high- density polyethylene (HDPE) that withstands rain, snow, and wind and resists fading, cracking, and rot.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2026
  • Loved for its beautiful summer flowers and attractive bark, crepe myrtle displays superb heat tolerance and has an adaptable root system that withstands a range of growing conditions.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 June 2026
Definition of withstands
Verb
  • The gain defers indefinitely until the asset is sold or otherwise disposed of.
    — Shehan Chandrasekera, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700-million contract defers all but $2 million of his annual salary until after the contract expires.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of defers
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.

Browse Nearby Words

holds (in)
holds off
holds off (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Holds off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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