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)
Verb
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John Mulaney has postponed three upcoming shows in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026 -
Thursday night's Bulls game against the Miami Heat at the United Center was postponed due to condensation on the court.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Several school districts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have delayed the start of classes Wednesday because of the freezing rain and icy roads.—
WBZ-News Staff,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another of the bills will appear on the same agenda for a public hearing and its second reading, while the last of the four has been deferred until after the new year.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Nov. 2025
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Delta Air Lines deferred comment to the US Department of Transportation and the FAA.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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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 10 Jan. 2026.
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