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

Judge holds off:No decision on whether to drop NYC Mayor Eric Adams case What charges does Adams face? —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025

Just consider holding off on sending those trail selfies to your friends on the East Coast until the snow and ice melt. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Barkov and Aho had two points, Rantanen had a single goal (that Filip Gustavsson should’ve saved) and Roope Hintz was held off the scoresheet entirely. —Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

The Horned Frogs led most of the game, but had to hold off multiple surges by the Red Raiders. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2025

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