as in postponing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off (on)
Verb
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Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026 -
Two additional rezoning requests covering roughly 80 acres have been repeatedly tabled, with the council postponing decisions again in March while awaiting a staff briefing on data center infrastructure and policy.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Electric propulsion also enables Blitz to have a low acoustic as well as infra-red signature, delaying detection.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
Temporarily delaying action on a state law that would open the door for a lot of homes to be built across the city.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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And moviegoers turned out to indies from Rosemead to The Chronology of Water, All That’s Left Of You and more, new and holding over, limited, wide and top ten.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
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MicroStrategy remains the leader among corporate crypto treasuries, holding over 638,000 bitcoins valued at an astonishing $71 billion.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Commissioner Jessica Vasquez requested the AI proposal be deferred, likely putting off consideration for at least one month.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Damon Wayans’ Message to Other Diabetes Patients Wayans wants people who suspect something is off to stop putting off the appointment.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Domestic sales and government largesse are driving the upturn, but activity is still affected by supply chain disruptions and businesses deferring spending.—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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The ministers warned that deferring the military purchase could compromise Peru’s security interests, but Balcázar said such a large commitment is not for a temporary leader.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Holding off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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