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

Nolan delivers one fantastical set piece after another to test Matt Damon’s Odysseus, while keeping the audience equally compelled by the palace intrigue back at Ithaca as Anne Hathaway’s Penelope holds off a brutish gaggle of suitors. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026

Unionized employees at the El Dorado Hills Community Services District have held off filing complaint against their employer. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026

Yesterday's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also gave investors hope that the Federal Reserve could hold off on raising interest rates. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Many potential customers usually hold off on iPhone purchases right before Apple’s fall event, but things could be a little different this year. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 July 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