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
How the Horns held off the Wolfpack Anyone who has watched the Longhorns are painfully aware of the palpitations and hoop sweats that come with this group.
—
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers 119-115 on Monday night.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Clippers edged by Spurs Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off the Clippers 119-115 on Monday night at Intuit Dome.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
At the governor’s request, the Legislature held off from the additional 1% cut to K-12 public education, including high school career technical education programs, public safety and Idaho’s Medicaid program, read the statement obtained by the Idaho Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold off
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Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers 119-115 on Monday night.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Clippers edged by Spurs Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off the Clippers 119-115 on Monday night at Intuit Dome.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
At the governor’s request, the Legislature held off from the additional 1% cut to K-12 public education, including high school career technical education programs, public safety and Idaho’s Medicaid program, read the statement obtained by the Idaho Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
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 19 Mar. 2026.
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