hold off (on)

Definition of hold off (on)next
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
  • The session ended with the decision on de Moraes postponed possibly until mid-December.
    MAURICIO SAVARESE, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • If the launch needs to be postponed, a planning advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, suggests another opportunity is available the following day.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some of that January increase reflects workers who secured jobs during the final months of the previous year but delayed their start dates.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pouring billions of dollars into developing a domestic tech ecosystem under his Vision 2030 program, even as some mega-projects are delayed.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Four years ago, Xi deferred Zhang’s retirement, keeping him on board to help manage the world’s largest and second-most-capable military.
    Jonathan A. Czin, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, staggering margins incentivize every operating facility globally to defer maintenance, maximize utilization, and de-bottleneck capacity.
    Harvey Stober, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After losing nearly a stroke and a half to the field on the greens in Round 1, Åberg has gained nearly three strokes putting over the last two days.
    Justin Ray, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The company’s Super+ membership is approaching one million members and has helped customers put over $1 billion back in their pockets.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 7 July 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.

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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 20 Sep. 2026.

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