hold off

verb

held off; holding off; holds off

transitive verb

1

: to block from an objective : delay

2

: to defer action on : postpone

hold off a decision

3

: to fight to a standoff : withstand

intransitive verb

: to defer or temporarily stop doing something

Synonyms

• defer
• delay
• hold over
• hold up
• lay over
• postpone
• put off
• put over
• remit
• shelve

Examples of hold off in a Sentence

we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along

Recent Examples on the Web

Though Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish have recently been outspoken about their support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Chappell Roan is holding off on making an endorsement ahead of the 2024 presidential election. —Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024

Many buyers are holding off purchasing property due to concerns about the 2024 Autumn Budget that will be shared on October 30, according to Knight Frank. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2024

While court records don’t give details about the case, the Greensboro News & Record reported the arrest came after Routh ran from a traffic stop and held off police for three hours with the weapon at a roofing business. —Michael Biesecker, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2024

But for months, Teamsters leadership held off announcing its 2024 endorsement decision even as nine of the nation's 10 largest unions endorsed Harris, including United Auto Workers, the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers. —Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

hold off

verb

1

: to keep away : withstand

held off the attack

2

: postpone, delay

decided to hold off on the decision

will hold off production for the summer