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 of hold off

• postpone
• delay
• defer
• put over

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

If inflation continues to trend that way, the Federal Reserve could decide to hold off on hikes to interest rates. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Cameron Brink injured in Sparks’ loss Sabrina Ionescu scored 20 points and the New York Liberty avoided one of the biggest collapses in WNBA history, holding off the Sparks 85-81 on Thursday night. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Aside from the board president race, most special interest groups have held off from making major contributions. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

That includes Katie Ledecky, the American star who continued her dominance in the 1,500-meter freestyle by holding off a strong effort from Australia’s Lani Pallister. — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

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