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
Verb
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All turned back from fear or foul weather.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
2 June 2026 -
The vacant home could be turned back into staff quarters.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Senior twins Riley and Reagan Cullivan put off a family vacation to Italy for one day to play in the title game.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Dropping Buds And Flowers An underwatered plant may put off flowering and fruiting while focusing on staying healthy.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The court turned away the appeal without comment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
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Texas is split down the middle on which issue should take priority — stopping voter fraud or preventing eligible citizens from being turned away at the ballot box — as a poll shows the split is not a sign of moderation but of deep partisan polarization.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The movie is clearly aimed at a certain audience who watched Saturday morning cartoons back in the day and, if their He-Man figure’s arm broke off, would use Faker as their resident Eternian hero.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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This year’s season was delayed after a huge section of the icefall broke off and blocked the route to the summit.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Media buyers have pressed for rollbacks in cable, and the media companies have resisted.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 June 2026
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Iowa’s farm lobby remains among the most influential in state politics, and Republican leaders have generally resisted stricter environmental regulations.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The meeting was ultimately deferred at the Fontainebleau’s request after one of the board members didn’t show up.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
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At the end of March, the Browns and Garrett agreed to a contract modification that deferred a total of $29 million in bonus payments over the next three years.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Rose Wang, Bluesky's chief operating officer, told CNBC on the sidelines of SXSW in London on Wednesday that the smaller open-source platform isn't opposed to regulation but that smaller players in the industry should be protected.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
6 June 2026
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The idea is vehemently opposed by the players union.—
Jordan Fabian,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Executives from the top AI and tech firms had been invited, and some were en route to the White House when the order was postponed.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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The sentencing date for two men who pleaded guilty to siphoning money from a campaign account belonging to gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra will be postponed for at least two months, court records show.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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