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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Sharon eventually canceled the farewell tour after repeatedly postponing the dates, and Ozzy continued to steadily deteriorate.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With the tariffs firmly in place, representatives from both associations said most buyers are either delaying or not placing new orders.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
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In Sweden, Nobel’s will sparked a legal dispute within his family, delaying the implementation of his wishes.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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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This helps the shoe absorb impact, pushing off energy back towards you and putting off foot fatigue.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
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While automakers are putting off and/or cancelling vehicles that only run on electrons, given high development costs and a weak market, Subaru is confident in the direction it is headed.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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Cox also called for unity in hopes of deferring political violence.—
Lee Ann Anderson,
The Hill,
29 Sep. 2025
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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 13 Oct. 2025.
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