hold off
verb
held off; holding off; holds off
1
: to block from an objective : delay
2
: to defer action on : postpone
hold off a decision
3
: to fight to a standoff : withstand
: to defer or temporarily stop doing something
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
The year before, the Pats held off Allen in a primetime, late-December win to clinch what remains their most recent division title.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
How to Watch Marquette vs Wisconsin Wisconsin won its Big Ten Conference opener on Tuesday night, blowing out to a 23-point halftime lead before holding off visiting Northwestern for an 85-73 victory.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
The Trojans then extended their lead to 48-39 after three quarters, then held off the Pointers.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Dec. 2025
When Celebrini has been held off the scoresheet, not only have the Sharks failed to win a game so far this year, but their offense has often gone completely silent.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
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Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
How to Watch Marquette vs Wisconsin Wisconsin won its Big Ten Conference opener on Tuesday night, blowing out to a 23-point halftime lead before holding off visiting Northwestern for an 85-73 victory.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
The Trojans then extended their lead to 48-39 after three quarters, then held off the Pointers.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Dec. 2025
When Celebrini has been held off the scoresheet, not only have the Sharks failed to win a game so far this year, but their offense has often gone completely silent.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
Cite this Entry
“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.
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