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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
Verb
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There had been a fear coming into the week that the players might cause a work stoppage that would have postponed the season-opening game.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026 -
Third, February’s report will include some annual revisions that were postponed due to the historic government shutdown this past fall.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The judge reminded the court that Cox filed the motion in January 2026 and refused to delay the hearing.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
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The upcoming feature, which will allow users to generate adult content using the chatbot for the first time, has been delayed.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One concern is cognitive offloading, in which decision-makers defer too readily to algorithmic recommendations, effectively diminishing human accountability for strategic choices.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
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According to police, the victim deferred treatment until Saturday.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the rudder is put over, the stern swings out first, so that if the vessel is in restricted waters, trying to avoid something ahead can result in hitting something behind.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
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The nonprofit that has been helping them is trying to find a roof to put over their heads.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
17 Dec. 2025
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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 9 Mar. 2026.
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