held off

verb

past tense of hold off
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
  1. turned back
  2. put off
  3. turned away
  4. broke off
  5. resisted
  6. deferred
  7. opposed
  8. postponed
Verb
  • In May, the Court of International Trade turned back another set.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Paige turned back around to find Nikki Bella hitting her with a clothesline.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of turned back
Verb
  • Depending on the severity of a partial UCL tear, rehab and strengthening the muscles around the elbow can sometimes at least put off surgery.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026
  • By agreeing to put off the merger for now, Paramount doesn’t have to face a potential courtroom loss over attorneys generals’ longer-term restraining order, for example.
    — Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of put off
Verb
  • New Zealanders must now be registered and have their addresses and other details updated in the system 13 days before election day, or they will be turned away from polling places.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The coroner’s report said that Khalil died in the evening from cardiac arrest due to head trauma and severe bleeding, hours after paramedics initially entered the area and were turned away, said Human Rights Watch’s Lebanon Researcher Ramzi Kaiss.
    — Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of turned away
Verb
  • In March 2023, for instance, Honduras broke off formal relations with Taiwan and established ties with Beijing.
    — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In the red zone a few plays later, veteran free agent addition Cobie Durant picked off a Dak Prescott pass intended for CeeDee Lamb in the end zone where Durant broke off his assignment with good instincts and easily picked it off.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of broke off
Verb
  • Burbank locals have resisted growth in the past, said real estate consultant Chris Baer of Avison Young.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe not While the AMA acknowledges that stigma affects clinician behavior and prescribing, the organization has long urged patience with the pace of reform and resisted efforts to mandate more rapid change.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of resisted
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
Definition of deferred
Verb
  • Count Charlotte Sherbeyn, 59, among those opposed, though the longtime resident welcomes the economic boom promised by Natrium's boosters.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Many clergy bitterly opposed the handover of the villages and criticized Pashinyan, who came to power in the South Caucasus nation amid a wave of hopeful, pro-democracy protests that swept Armenia in 2018.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of opposed
Verb
  • Brook was set to face Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in a bout raising money for the Ricky Hatton Foundation, but the event was postponed and never rescheduled.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The protests over the shooting led to several nearby community events being canceled or postponed.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of postponed
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

held (in)
held off
held off (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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