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
Slowing the most aggressive pass-rushing defense in the NFL ranks among the Packers’ top priorities Sunday, and one of the ways to hold off an aggressive pass rush is to establish the run game.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Mansfield scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes to take a 16-point lead into halftime Saturday, then the Tigers held off a late push from Fordyce to win the Class 3A state championship football game 40-30 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
—Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 13 Dec. 2025
Golden State has held off on making any major moves involving players like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, who offer youth and salary filler to any potential blockbuster trade.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Monzo said the board voted to hold off on hosting the airshow because of work on a new terminal.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Mansfield scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes to take a 16-point lead into halftime Saturday, then the Tigers held off a late push from Fordyce to win the Class 3A state championship football game 40-30 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
—Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 13 Dec. 2025
Golden State has held off on making any major moves involving players like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, who offer youth and salary filler to any potential blockbuster trade.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Monzo said the board voted to hold off on hosting the airshow because of work on a new terminal.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 11 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 16 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share