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
-
The April 25 shooting incident forced organizers to postpone the annual dinner, a black-tie affair attended by nearly 3,000 journalists, politicians, corporate executives and others.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026 -
Barry Manilow has once again postponed his upcoming Las Vegas shows as the singer works his way back from a lung cancer diagnosis late last year.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The fight, though, kept getting delayed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Plans were reportedly delayed after Kate’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, but with her now in remission and feeling better, a tour is once again on the table.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In February, opponents packed the City Hall chambers ahead of a planned Historic Preservation Board meeting, which was ultimately deferred at the Fontainebleau’s request after one of the board members didn’t show up.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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Booker deferred too much to Durant.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 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 4 May. 2026.
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