HOLD OFF (ON) Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

hold off (on)

verb

Definition of 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)

Verb

Trump made the threat a day after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote to advance Blanche’s nomination over objections from Sens.

— Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026
The committee wanted to meet in October; Rignol told them he was getting married in Europe and asked to postpone.

— Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of postpone

Verb

Evander scored a go-ahead goal from distance in the 82nd minute and Cincinnati beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 on Saturday night in a game delayed over two hours due to weather.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.

— Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of delay

Verb

The next day, Blazers president Dewayne Hankins deferred questions through team spokesperson Charles Boyle, who said the city’s depiction of the Blazers is misleading.

— Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 July 2026
And in Minnesota, state officials have been executing a thorough corrective action plan to defray CMS concerns that have led the agency to defer some $260 million in federal money and to threaten future cuts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026

Definition of defer

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

Definition of put over

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.

Browse Nearby Words

hold off

hold off (on)

hold on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hold off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hold off (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

mitigate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes