as in postpones
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 holds off (on)
Verb
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At a Friday court hearing for the family’s asylum case, a judge granted a continuance, which postpones the case to a later date, family attorney Danielle Molliver told CNN.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026 -
At best, the push postpones the cross-medium renaissance Hollywood has been predicting for more than 30 years.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This mistake not only holds up your travel plans, but also delays passengers behind you as TSA officers search through your carry-on.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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Under state law, there is a 14-day pre-eviction notice required for nonpayment of rent, which delays the impact.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The permanent collection holds over 20,000 pieces of art that span ancient classical art to the present day.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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If his former reticence holds over the next week, the Bulls could end February on a quiet note once again.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Depending on how long the renter defers part of the payment, Livble’s fees can translate into effective annual percentage rates of roughly 104% to 139%.—
Ken Sweet,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
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One amendment to the bill adding new zoning categories defers its effective date to April 5, which Johnston said was meant to give the Planning Department enough time to put together and disseminate the map.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Holds off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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