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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
  1. postpone
  2. delay
  3. defer
  4. put over
Verb
  • Thanks to to novel coronavirus global pandemic, Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man is postponed to spring 2021.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Gallant was scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in Washington in early October — a trip Gallant initiated — but it was postponed at Netanyahu’s request.
    Max Burman, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of postpone
Verb
  • In August 2024, the Financial Times reported that 40% of more than 100 projects evaluated were delayed.
    James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024
  • This year, state laws still in place in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin prohibiting election workers from counting early votes until Election Day are expected to delay results again.
    Rachel Barber, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of delay
Verb
  • After the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, reviewed the national security implications of the sale, the Biden administration deferred a decision until after the election.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
  • In 2023, only 14% of employees deferred the maximum amount into 401(k) plans, according to Vanguard’s 2024 How America Saves report, which included data from 1,500 qualified plans and nearly 5 million participants.
    Kate Dore, CFP®, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of defer
Verb
  • Chop up candy or candy bars with a knife or scissors and put over ice cream or frozen yogurt.
    Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
  • When Cody tried to put over the gaudy Crown Jewel Championship, fans did not seem all that impressed with it.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 Oct. 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

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hold off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...