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
  • 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
Definition of put off
Verb
  • Mali then turned away from its traditional Western partners to Russia — first to the Wagner Group, a private organization that acted as Russia’s diplomatic proxy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Zahra was ultimately turned away at the Moroccan border town of Fnideq and did not enter Ceuta.
    — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 31 July 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
  • With the tight ends The Chiefs’ tight ends broke off to work on a blocking drill at the start.
    — Pete Grathoff July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of broke off
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
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
  • The day of that performance in front of the Pope, there were people that opposed it.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • A number of lawmakers opposed the bill to establish the National Intelligence Bureau, and more than 200 people attended a protest against it in May ahead of the parliamentary vote, according to public broadcaster NHK.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of opposed
Verb
  • And, George, the Senate Judiciary Committee, back to Blanche, has rescheduled his confirmation vote for Tuesday after it was abruptly postponed last week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Stewart, who has a history of thyroid cancer surgery, canceled and postponed concert stops last month following a diagnosis of acute upper respiratory infection, laryngitis and vocal fold strain.
    — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 1 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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