held off (on)

verb

past tense of hold off (on)
as in postponed
to assign to a later time we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off (on)
  1. postponed
  2. delayed
  3. deferred
Verb
  • And, George, the Senate Judiciary Committee, back to Blanche, has rescheduled his confirmation vote for Tuesday after it was abruptly postponed last week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Stewart, who has a history of thyroid cancer surgery, canceled and postponed concert stops last month following a diagnosis of acute upper respiratory infection, laryngitis and vocal fold strain.
    — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of postponed
Verb
  • The official, who spoke on behalf of the State Department on condition of anonymity, said Brazil has indicated the approval is likely to be delayed until after its election in October.
    — Abigail Williams, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The article has been corrected to reflect that the university system’s timeline was expedited, not delayed.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • Because taxes are generally deferred until distributions are taken, the annual tax impact of interest income may be reduced.
    — David Kudla, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • In addition, opting for a simple immediate or deferred annuity may also help amplify income, the report states.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 29 July 2026
Definition of deferred
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.

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held off
held off (on)
held on
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Cite this Entry

“Held off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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