hold off
verb
held off; holding off; holds off
1
: to block from an objective : delay
2
: to defer action on : postpone
hold off a decision
3
: to fight to a standoff : withstand
: to defer or temporarily stop doing something
Synonyms
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
Nevertheless, Los Angeles held off a furious rally from the Bengals and secured their seventh win of the season.
—
Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
While that’s over the majority threshold candidates need to win races outright, Watson held off on declaring victory as elections administrators in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties still had to count some provisional and mail-in ballots.
—Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Nov. 2024
Scott held off a challenge from former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), whom polls had shown trailing him in some cases by just a few percentage points.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
Harris stepped up to take Biden’s place just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, holding off the high-profile members of her party with their own presidential ambitions and the possibility of an open convention.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold off 
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Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
While that’s over the majority threshold candidates need to win races outright, Watson held off on declaring victory as elections administrators in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties still had to count some provisional and mail-in ballots.
—Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Nov. 2024
Scott held off a challenge from former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), whom polls had shown trailing him in some cases by just a few percentage points.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
Harris stepped up to take Biden’s place just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, holding off the high-profile members of her party with their own presidential ambitions and the possibility of an open convention.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold off
Dictionary Entries Near hold off
Cite this Entry
“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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