1
as in turned back
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2
as in put off
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off
Verb
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In early 2013, having ticked her Antarctica box, Koch turned back to her other great passion and applied for admission to NASA’s 21st astronaut class.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026 -
Things got off to an inauspicious start when Air Force One was turned back by mechanical issues.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Viewers of Bridgerton are still likely, and rightfully, going to be put off by Benedict’s offer.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
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Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, 15 patients from Gaza and 31 of their relatives were scheduled to cross to Egypt, but more than half of the group was turned away, said Raed al-Nims, a spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Around the same time that the Genetic Studies of Genius started to yield questionable results, our collective attention turned away from IQ toward EQ, when Peter Salovey and John Mayer coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990, and Daniel Goleman popularized it with his 1995 book.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jonathan Stewart broke off a 59-yard run on the first offensive play of the game and then scored on a short TD run.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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Venezuela and the United States broke off diplomatic relations in February 2019 in a decision by Maduro.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Utah has resisted pursuits of Kessler in the past, but one wonders if Jackson’s acquisition makes the Jazz more open-minded on this front.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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When asked to take a photo when the Panthers visited the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 — with Sandra Douglass Morgan and herself, the only two female presidents in the NFL — Coleman at first resisted.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When asked to rank his dunks, James deferred.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Decisions get deferred in the name of inclusion or further exploration.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There was no reference in the agreement to the future of the SDF's all-female fighting units -- a sensitive point as much of the Damascus leaders come from a conservative background and are opposed to women in combat.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Some are opposed to negotiating with Democrats at all.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The elections were later postponed indefinitely amid political deadlock and security concerns.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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The package also postponed the CSDDD’s application, setting the 2028-2029 timeline.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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