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
  • 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
Definition of turned back
Verb
  • So, when Thursday’s term sheet was sent to the Blazers, the team was put off by asks from the city, particularly the $3 million annual fee for a property tax offset and a requirement that the team hires union workers.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Don’t be surprised if your teen is angry or put off by the conversation.
    — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 21 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
  • Similar gains were observed for other rare earth combinations, suggesting that controlling channel size could become a general strategy for separating elements that have long resisted efficient purification.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026
  • The couple initially resisted the town’s removal order, insisting the roosters were meant to comfort their daughter Pyper, not advertise their business.
    — Holly Ramer, Fortune, 24 July 2026
Definition of resisted
Verb
  • When to consider waiting a little longer If key conversations about money, conflict, or the future keep getting deferred, that’s worth paying attention to.
    — Ashley Lynch July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • Trump officials said the funding is not permanently cut but deferred until states provide information to support the claims.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 July 2026
Definition of deferred
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
Definition of opposed
Verb
  • The final was postponed to Monday after heavy rain washed out Sunday’s play.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • This is why a poor weather forecast postponed the initial I-285 closure in May for a couple of weeks.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 19 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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