HELD OFF Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

held off

verb

past tense of hold off

as in turned back

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Dissimilar Words

as in put off

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off

Verb

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
After his father was repeatedly brought to an operating room at a hospital in Kandahar and turned back without surgery, Amiri posted a video describing the ordeal.

— Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026

Definition of turned back

Verb

Home Depot and Lowe’s both told investors this year that homeowners are putting off larger home improvement projects – those often associated with fixer-upper homes.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Across the country, park agencies struggling with these dire conditions are responding by putting off maintenance for trails and forests to save money, said Ray.

— Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of put off

Verb

There were earthquake survivors who feared calling out for help in the language, in case the rescuers turned away.

— Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
But on the final Sunday Joe’s stayed open, the restaurant turned away hundreds of people already in line rather than risk cutting corners on quality.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Definition of turned away

Verb

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
The Italian shipwreck that killed 32 people Local media in Greece reported that a piece of engine broke off and smashed a window during the flight on Friday, causing the cabin to decompress and sucking one passenger partially out of the window.

— Renee Maltezou, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of broke off

Verb

The initial complaint, filed on the day he was apprehended, alleged Hurtado-Cariaco forcibly resisted arrest, according to a pre-sentencing court filing by McWilliams.

— Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
That matters especially in the United States, where patient access, physician burnout and accelerating costs have all resisted incremental fixes.

— Adam Farren, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of resisted

Verb

The former Black-ish and Grown-ish star — who played a college student on the latter series — initially deferred her acceptance to the Ivy League school for a year to work on a few projects, ultimately enrolling in 2017.

— Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
In June, Oceanside’s City Council voted unanimously to exempt multiple sites from the law and deferred others from high-density zoning until 2032, relying on carve-outs for areas with existing housing capacity, lack of walking paths and more.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026

Definition of deferred

Verb

Earlier versions of the county’s early voting plan included Sunday voting, which Democrats generally supported and Republicans opposed.

— Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
But the semi-annual change has few fans – an AP-NORC poll last year found that only 12% of American adults were in favor of it, while almost half opposed it.

— Deepti Hajela, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of opposed

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held (in)

held off

held off (on)

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“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of held off

verb

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