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 Blazers, in their first game since firing coach Trent Dilfer, held off a late surge by the Tigers for a 31-24 victory.
—
Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Houston had pulled a gun on Ramos, but the friend convinced him to hold off and was speaking with him on the patio when Houston saw police approaching.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 18 Oct. 2025
How to Watch Old Dominion at James Madison James Madison took the lead for the first time early in the fourth quarter and held off visiting Louisiana last week for a 24-14 victory.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Heavy defensive traffic and quality play from Boyer held off a few dangerous balls in front, with Schneider threatening on many of them.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
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Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Houston had pulled a gun on Ramos, but the friend convinced him to hold off and was speaking with him on the patio when Houston saw police approaching.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 18 Oct. 2025
How to Watch Old Dominion at James Madison James Madison took the lead for the first time early in the fourth quarter and held off visiting Louisiana last week for a 24-14 victory.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Heavy defensive traffic and quality play from Boyer held off a few dangerous balls in front, with Schneider threatening on many of them.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2025.
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