holds off

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold off
1
as in stands off

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in puts off

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds off
  1. turns away
  2. puts off
  3. turns back
  4. breaks off
  5. resists
  6. shelves
  7. withstands
  8. defers
Verb
  • The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the boy and continues running, sliding under a boat parked in the driveway.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In fact, the pursuit of a truly American design style—one that turns away from imitation and toward exploration—has been a focus for architects since this country was founded.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026
Definition of turns away
Verb
  • When a leader puts off a decision, the people around them feel the pause first.
    — Mohamed AL Hashemi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • The longer Congress puts off reckoning with these problems, the more difficult the solutions will be.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Definition of puts off
Verb
  • An exhibit celebrating the Metro’s rail system turns back time with its vintage 1970s railcar.
    — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Definition of turns back
Verb
  • According to the reports, the malfunctions occurred during the ride's signature ‘tilt' portion, where the segment of track containing the ride vehicle breaks off completely and tilts forward 45 degrees before reconnecting to another piece of track at a 90-degree angle to the ground below.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
  • If the mouthpiece breaks off, try to remove it without digging into the skin.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
Definition of breaks off
Verb
  • With three pockets to hold essentials, this moisture-wicking pair is lightweight and resists pills, per shoppers.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
  • The human personality resists easy analysis — that is surely one of Aviv’s takeaways.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of resists
Verb
  • Clean the wood cabinet doors monthly and the interior shelves every three to six months.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The result was a fun cameo arc that ends on the image of Scorsese breaking down in tears after Matt shelves the iconic director’s dream project to save his own job — a turn that earned Scorsese his first acting nomination.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
Definition of shelves
Verb
  • Its curved lines and bright upholstery are decidedly modern, and it’s made with a steel frame finished in a warm wood transfer that withstands the rain and summer sun better than natural wood.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, the inside is lined with sturdy organic cotton twill, which withstands wear and tear.
    — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of withstands
Verb
  • The gain defers indefinitely until the asset is sold or otherwise disposed of.
    — Shehan Chandrasekera, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700-million contract defers all but $2 million of his annual salary until after the contract expires.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of defers
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

holds (in)
holds off
holds off (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holds off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20off. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All