hold off (on)

as in to postpone
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
Verb
  • It was postponed indefinitely due to the federal takeover threat.
    Deena Zaru, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After lightning delayed kickoff for an hour, Colleyville Heritage (1-1) fell behind quickly in a back-and-forth game.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In the last few years, Beyoncé, Pink, and Noah Kahan, among others, have had concerts canceled or delayed by extreme lightning, rain, or wildfire smoke.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In a brief exchange with reporters before departing Miami for Mexico City, Rubio deferred questions about the specifics of the strike to the Pentagon.
    Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Ideally, scientists should defer the creation of mirror life.
    LIYAM CHITAYAT, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The market is putting over 85% odds on a cut, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
  • His arraignment was initially set for Thursday but was put over to Friday morning, court records show.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hold off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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