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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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off

Verb

Things opened up in the second half, highlighted by tight end Travis Kelce turning back the clock for a 59-yard gain in the open field.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
Then the wine and sake pairing started, and there was no turning back.

— Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of turning back

Verb

Stop putting off that next step for your side hustle and find the perfect person to take your business to the next level.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
Poppe said the company was putting off $2 billion in work — not for wildfire mitigation or safety, but for housing developments, renewable energy projects and other efforts.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of putting off

Verb

This is not true; no technology or social evolution is inevitable, and even some young people are already turning away from them.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Almost half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in a recent Bloomberg poll support wearing shorts to work, but men in Silicon Valley are turning away from the look of the scruffy tech genius in shorts and flip-flops.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of turning away

Verb

Experts believe Wednesday's mudslides and flash flooding across Nepal and China's Tibet region were caused by a large chunk of ice breaking off a glacier and falling into the Lhende Khola River.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The AccuWeather team will be looking for smaller storm cells breaking off of the main line, which would give them freedom to begin rotating and potentially spin off a tornado funnel.

— Karl Hille, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of breaking off

Verb

The dismissals varied but building a middle order capable of withstanding a spin barrage in helpful conditions is fundamental to England’s ambitions overseas.

— Ben Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Consider that a durable laptop capable of withstanding an accidental drop might be worth extra money.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of withstanding

Verb

That iteration eventually led to Ron Funches taking over for Morgan, but then financing fell through, shelving the project indefinitely as of 2018.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Harrington broke the two metatarsal bones in his right foot in the seventh game last year, shelving him for 2 1/2 months.

— Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of shelving

Verb

And that’s something Erivo is more than capable of delivering while resisting the temptation to showboat, even when the writing lets her down.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Vlasac is also charged with one count of resisting an officer with violence and one count of battery on an officer, firefighter or EMT, according to online jail records.

— KC Baker, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of resisting

Verb

That debate sparked angry exchanges among different justices, which led Justice Flávio Dino to ask for the review that led to postponing the decision.

— MAURICIO SAVARESE, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
Humor becomes a way of both relieving and postponing tension.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of postponing

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.

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

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Synonyms of holding off

verb

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