holding off

verb

present participle of hold off
1
as in turning back

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2
as in putting off

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off
  1. turning back
  2. putting off
  3. turning away
  4. breaking off
  5. withstanding
  6. shelving
  7. resisting
  8. postponing
Verb
  • Once the company and its shareholders become accustomed to such a financial boost, an environment where individual guest spending sharply increases even when domestic park attendance is soft or steady, there’s likely no turning back.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Reinhart’s vintage Elie Saab moment comes at a time when several high-profile stars are turning back the clock and looking to the runway from the early aughts and ’90s for their red carpet and project promotional tour stints.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 17 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
  • The market distress peaked in 2024 with State Farm and Farmers announcing plans to drop tens of thousands of customers, and other major insurers turning away all new customers.
    — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 founders of Plank Hardware create hardware made to offset a kitchen’s harsh fixtures, while still withstanding the wear and tear of daily use.
    — Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of withstanding
Verb
  • The article details other instances of similar editorial calls, including TMZ‘s catch-and-kill of a video showing Justin Bieber using a racial slur — for which Levin reportedly paid $80,000 before shelving it.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 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
  • Garces Perez faces one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
    — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • By resisting the siloing of art by geography and chronology, the rehang interrogated the style and substance of European modernism, as well as the ways later generations of artists reclaimed those histories.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of resisting
Verb
  • As well as postponing the doc, which is produced by Voltage TV, Netflix has also pulled the trailer from its YouTube channel.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
  • To succeed, start small, stay mindful of postponing tasks, involve family members, and consistently apply the method.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 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.

Browse Nearby Words

holding (in)
holding off
holding off (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Holding off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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