puts off

verb

present tense third-person singular of put off
1
as in postpones
to assign to a later time never put off until tomorrow what you can do today

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removes
to rid oneself of (a garment) put off your coat and stay awhile

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disgusts
to cause to feel disgust she was put off by his blatantly sexist attitude

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of puts off 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puts off
  1. postpones
  2. removes
  3. disgusts
  4. delays
  5. shrugs off
  6. repulses
  7. holds over
  8. takes off
Verb
  • Every unnecessary year spent waiting for approvals delays investment, slows industrial growth and postpones the benefits of lower-cost, cleaner electricity.
    — Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • If that postpones $3–5 billion of annual future cash flow and requires $3–5 billion of continuing engineering and development expenditure, the present-value effect can approach $10–20 billion.
    — Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of postpones
Verb
  • This keeps the area sanitized and removes any mold or allergens that can become a problem if they’re left untouched.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Pair them with the Corn Boats so your cob doesn't roll away; the incredibly handy Corn Stripper, which removes kernels from the cob in one smooth, easy motion; and the Corn Brush, which removes stubborn corn silk easily.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of removes
Verb
  • That’s what really disgusts me.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Definition of disgusts
Verb
  • His isolation is not that of a man locked up in a room but a man who delays going into that room for as long as possible.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The person who delays repayment may create tension, even if unintentionally.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • The team shrugs off criticism that the end result was overbudget and overdue.
    — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 20 June 2026
  • Once again, Rodrigo shrugs off concern.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrugs off
Verb
  • Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.
    — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.
    — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of repulses
Verb
  • The museum, opened in 2011, holds over 650 pieces of Art Nouveau jewelry, Art Deco glassware and contemporary crystal.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 7 July 2026
  • Satellite image ©2026 Vantor via AP Some people began to carry off basic goods such as toilet paper and food from stores in Catia La Mar, a neighborhood in La Guaira that holds over 200 housing towers.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 June 2026
Definition of holds over
Verb
  • When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026
  • There is a similar silence after Maggie’s mother takes off.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Definition of takes off

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Puts off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puts%20off. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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