holding off

verb

present participle of hold off
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
  1. turning back
  2. putting off
  3. turning away
  4. breaking off
  5. withstanding
  6. shelving
  7. resisting
  8. postponing
Verb
  • Cubans are planning their lives around the lights turning back on.
    — Andrea Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • At times, they were seen swerving around other drivers and driving at speeds up to 95 miles per hour in the northbound lanes before getting onto the westbound I-10, exiting near downtown and then turning back toward Boyle Heights on surface streets.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 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
  • Slightly turning away from the camera, Schiffer revealed that the back of her bikini top was held together with the netting.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But with burnout on the rise in health care, many clinicians are turning away students.
    — Colleen Connolly, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of turning away
Verb
  • 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
  • Later videos appeared to show the top of the rocket breaking off in flight.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 14 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
  • 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
  • The rule formalizes the rollback announced in March 2025, effectively shelving the CTA for domestic businesses.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shelving
Verb
  • During the arrest, Guerrero-Chavez began resisting, even slipping out of her handcuffs and attempting to run back to her vehicle, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said.
    — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wiener has long championed making housing easier to build, but in San Francisco resisting development is a bedrock cause for those on the city’s left.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of resisting
Verb
  • Fallout has rippled across the sport, with the Golf Channel postponing a Good Good reality series and major retailers pulling the brand’s merchandise.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Parton had openly discussed health struggles in the months leading up to her death, including postponing and missing appearances while receiving treatment.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 26 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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