as in postponed
to assign to a later time
we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off (on)
Verb
-
Since the executive order was postponed last June, the Department of General Services has not conducted additional surveys for office space needs.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026 -
As a result, Wilson and her sister, Nancy Wilson, postponed their Royal Flush Tour to recover.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Voter turnout was high for a primary election, and a significant share of voters cast ballots on or after Election Day, likely because many delayed making a decision in the governor’s race.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
The Council deadlocked, 6-6, on that vote, delayed a vote on the budget last week due to concerns with the amendment process, and appeared to still be divided on Monday, with little consensus reached by the end of the five-hour working session.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The company had already deferred its hearing date multiple times amid mounting pressure.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
To save money, among the many reductions, the budget deferred for two years the opening of a new police training center to save $778,000 and eliminated 85 city positions, the majority of which are currently vacant.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Held off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
