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

• 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 pruning everything on your side would severely damage or kill a tree, hold off for now. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025

The former Seahawks star and Super Bowl champion is clinging to this starting job while trying to hold off the arrival of the franchise’s future. —Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Seize the Grey faded, and Dornoch was able to hold off the threat from Mindframe to win the race by a half-length. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025

And yet others may be holding off on imports until negotiations reach a definitive outcome, because the process has certainly been halting and confusing. —Raul Elizalde, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 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