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
Verb
-
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 -
Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Get it before this deal turns away from your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
-
More chatting, the camera turns away to shoot some B-roll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That Sun team, led by Tina Charles, is beating the breaks off the Sparks.—
Kiese Laymon,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Each one of those, in this quantum theory, breaks off into another block of cheese.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Clayton Valley bounces back to beat Campolindo, Sacred Heart Prep shuts out San Mateo again, Gunderson turns back Del Mar.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump demonizes immigrants and has launched a sweeping mass-deportation campaign that was cheered by the far right across Europe; Sánchez resists such nativism, and his government is in the midst of a program to give legal status to some half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Asked what matters most in shaping long-term leadership impact, Molinaroli resists simplification.—
Ascend Agency,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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
Verb
-
Forsythia withstands some drought and tolerates clay soil if it is amended with organic matter.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
-
Bruce withstands the fire zone long enough for the cash extraction to be completed, allowing the team to proceed with the second phase of the plan.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
When one person defers financial control to another, power concentrates in one place.—
Jillian Sanders,
Time,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Postponing elections thus also defers possibilities for political transformation.—
Jasmin Lilian Diab,
The Conversation,
5 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Holds off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20off. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
