1
as in turning back
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2
as in putting off
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off
Verb
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The men hunted a little farther, stopped to eat lunch, then decided to investigate a small hill before turning back to drag out their deer.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025 -
Rangers look like turning back to Steven Gerrard, their title-winning manager in 2020-21, after the swift sacking of Russell Martin.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Encouraging firms to allocate more shares for retail investors risks putting off the foreign institutions Saudi Arabia is simultaneously trying to woo.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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This helps the shoe absorb impact, pushing off energy back towards you and putting off foot fatigue.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Steve Rubell, as a sort of publicity stunt, had started turning away celebrities in order to make the newspapers.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
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Coders are now turning away from many of the public expressions of interest in different languages (like Google searches and Stack Exchange queries), which have served as key metrics for the ranking since 2013.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Weiss made a career for herself as an op-ed staff editor at The New York Times before breaking off from the mainstream publication in 2020 and launching the Free Press.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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Lopez and Affleck, one of the quintessential pop culture couples of the early 2000s, famously rekindled their romance in 2021 and wed the following year, two decades after breaking off their first engagement in late 2002.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
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Jake Browning's second three-interception game in four weeks has got the Cincinnati Bengals searching for answers, which include potentially shelving the quarterback ahead of a showdown with the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
11 Oct. 2025
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Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, are extremely durable, withstanding heat, water, and oil.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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Fast forward to today, and bridges have become some of the most complex feats of engineering on Earth, spanning miles of open water, carrying high-speed rail, and withstanding extreme weather and constant use.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Newsom's office previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital, deferring responsibility for the situation to the CIF, CDE and state legislature.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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Had Darnold not crumbled in the postseason, re-signing him to a multi-year deal and deferring McCarthy to a three-year development plan would have been reasonable.—
Trevor Squire,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Holding off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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