hold off (on)

verb

Definition of hold off (on)next
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
  1. postpone
  2. delay
  3. defer
  4. put over
Verb
  • Further postponing the vehicle would only add to the problem because the vehicle’s high payroll costs would just be carried forward.
    Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
  • That case was appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court declined to hear it, thereby at least postponing the day when the Supreme Court would rule on whether a charter school is a state actor or not.
    Peter Greene, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of postpone
Verb
  • Halo Infinite was delayed a year and arrived with a somewhat underwhelming launch.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Then, a calf contusion delayed the start to his rookie season.
    Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Federal officials would not provide details about the patient’s symptoms, deferring all inquiries to Louisiana’s Department of Public Health. Emails and calls to that agency went unanswered.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • However, this calculus depends on where households get their cash in order to defer the Social Security claiming age.
    Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of defer
Verb
  • In this encounter, Lynch came out on top, with Stratus acknowledging and putting over her former protege, Zoey Stark, in the aftermath.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The matter has been put over to February, and prosecutors are expected to consider assault charges against Gao in connection with the police shooting incident well before then.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024
Definition of put over
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near hold off (on)

hold off

hold off (on)

hold on

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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 5 Jan. 2025.

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