hold off

verb

held off; holding off; holds off

transitive verb

1

: to block from an objective : delay

2

: to defer action on : postpone

hold off a decision

3

: to fight to a standoff : withstand

intransitive verb

: to defer or temporarily stop doing something

Synonyms

• defer
• delay
• hold over
• hold up
• lay over
• postpone
• put off
• put over
• remit
• shelve

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

The next game’s starter usually learns his assignment after the last practice before the game, but the coaches decided to hold off for a discussion on Saturday. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025

Greater uncertainty can lead firms to hold off investing and households to refrain from spending. —London Business School, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The depth of the class could allow Baltimore to hold off until Day 2 or even Day 3 before adding to a group that includes Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington. —Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

That allowed Van Lith and Prince to combine for 21 points in the second half to hold off a Louisville rally. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for hold off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

hold off

verb

1

: to keep away : withstand

held off the attack

2

: postpone, delay

decided to hold off on the decision

will hold off production for the summer