HOLDING OFF Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

holding off

verb

present participle of hold off

as in turning back

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Dissimilar Words

as in putting off

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off

Verb

Exhausted after turning back a Spain barrage in a scoreless draw to start this tournament, Vozinha released tears as memorable as Messi’s.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
The front-9 and the beginning of the back-9 holes play mostly away from the coastline, but play moves back towards the Moray Firth on the par-4 13th, hugging the waterline for the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes before turning back towards the clubhouse.

— Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of turning back

Verb

Hundreds of military bases have been putting off cleanup of toxic PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, for years, according to a new USA TODAY analysis of military records.

— Austin Fast, USA Today, 26 July 2026
Home Depot and Lowe’s both told investors this year that homeowners are putting off larger home improvement projects – those often associated with fixer-upper homes.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of putting off

Verb

American public opinion is turning away from unconditional support of Israel since Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
At present, prison abolitionists have demanded new conditions for addressing racial capital, turning away from the brutal system of punitive measures to a framework of racial repair.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026

Definition of turning away

Verb

Holding a plaza for more than a month, withstanding a police crackdown and bringing senior ministers to neutral ground requires people.

— Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Sandwiching these is a silicon carbide layer, which acts as a high-strength pressure vessel capable of withstanding extreme internal pressures and temperatures exceeding 1,600°C without degrading.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026

Definition of withstanding

Verb

While custom living room shelving houses an impressive book collection, the kitchen is stocked with all the essentials needed to prepare meals of any scale.

— Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 30 July 2026
All these vehicles have seen showroom traffic slow to a crawl, so the automakers are scaling back or shelving their offerings in the segment (with the focus turning to smaller, more efficient vehicles that can be built and sold profitably).

— Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of shelving

Verb

Also on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia struck Iranian proxies in Iraq, after months of resisting being pulled into the conflict.

— Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Scott Lauck, a spokesperson for the office, said in an email Thursday that one of the juveniles was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault, while the other was charged with one count of resisting arrest, also a misdemeanor.

— Nathan Pilling July 30, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026

Definition of resisting

Verb

Earlier today, the president threw another wrench in the situation, floating the idea of postponing Blanche's confirmation until next year, when Cornyn and Tillis will both be gone from the Senate.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Promotional financing offers on credit cards can help manage expenses by spreading costs and potentially reducing or postponing interest.

— Louis DeNicola, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of postponing

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“Holding off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of holding off

verb

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