held off

Definition of held offnext
past tense of hold off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off
Verb
  • And oil wells and refineries can’t be turned back on overnight.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
  • But the tides have turned back in Mar’s favor.
    Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But Radcliffe wasn’t so easily put off.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Americans are also making other sacrifices, such as delaying a job change, putting off buying a new home or postponing growing their family.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The patents were similarly denied and the Supreme Court turned away Thaler’s attempt to appeal a lower court’s ruling on the matter in 2023.
    News Desk, Artforum, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The officer said he was turned away because the facility falls under the state’s jurisdiction, not the tribe’s.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His future wife broke off their engagement in 1960.
    Eric Olson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Last year, his boat got stuck in ice that broke off the nearby glacier.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The suspect resisted and threatened officers, who made the arrest and booked him into the main jail.
    Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Officers caught up to the suspect, who allegedly resisted arrest but was eventually placed in handcuffs.
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In January, El Portal’s planning and zoning committee deferred a vote on the school proposal, asking the developer to first host a series of public meetings with residents.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
  • But there have also been recent moments when Eklund has deferred a bit too often, opting for an extra pass when a shot on net would have been the better option.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Environmental organizations, local residents and state political leaders have strongly opposed such resumption, citing potential dangers to ocean health.
    Clara Harter Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Environmental organizations, residents and state political leaders have strongly opposed such resumption, citing potential dangers to ocean health.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.
    Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Snyder successfully argued that the start of his sentence should be postponed until his bid to have the Supreme Court hear his case was complete.
    Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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