HELD OFF (ON) Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

held off (on)

verb

past tense of hold off (on)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off (on)

Verb

Every year lost to delay is another year of constrained growth, postponed industrial investment, and missed economic opportunity that severely impacts current and future competitiveness.

— Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026
While Faith No More had planned to return to the stage in 2020, those dates were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2026

Definition of postponed

Verb

Eckert was interviewed again earlier this month after the process was initially delayed, with Southampton’s head coach back in Germany and recently becoming a father.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Gen Alphas seem to know almost immediately when something is fake, overproduced, delayed or culturally disconnected, which is why the strongest content right now often feels chaotic.

— Kelly Samuel, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of delayed

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

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held off

held off (on)

held on

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“Held off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of held off (on)

verb

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