held off

past tense of hold off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off
Verb
  • As the clock ticked down, Boyle took off his headphones, dropped the microphone and turned back into a student, rushing the field with his classmates.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Sandy Creek has sat idle since a major failure last year and isn’t expected to be turned back on until March 2027.
    Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • Many have delayed large home renovations, put off replacing major appliances and looked for practical ways to trim monthly expenses as everyday costs remain elevated.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • He’s been put off by Rhaenyra but not in any really humiliating way.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • Check local donation guidelines before loading the truck Nothing derails a donation day faster than showing up with a truckload of furniture only to be turned away.
    Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026
  • Rookie Brian Schwake turned away four shots for Nashville (12-2-3), which had won five in a row and gone 8-0-2 during its unbeaten run.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Second-year running back Jarquez Hunter broke off a run for a long gain.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
  • Moorby broke off the left wing and combined with his Hurricanes teammate, scrumhalf Cam Roigard to score two minutes after the resumption.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • On a Sunday afternoon in July, while much of the world watched the World Cup final, a counterexample was found to the Jacobian conjecture, a problem that had resisted proof or disproof since 1939.
    Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Until Tuesday, some rival executives resisted calling the Detroit Tigers on left-hander Tarik Skubal, trying to be respectful as the team fought to remain in contention.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 28 July 2026
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
Verb
  • Masterson, O’Hara, Rogers and Schmidt have all raised concerns about or opposed data-center incentives.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Mayors and first selectmen rely on that money to balance their budgets, and two key lobbying groups, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Council of Small Towns, have both opposed eliminating the car tax.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • Every year lost to delay is another year of constrained growth, postponed industrial investment, and missed economic opportunity that severely impacts current and future competitiveness.
    Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • While Faith No More had planned to return to the stage in 2020, those dates were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!