How to Use hold off in a Sentence

hold off

verb
Definition of hold offnext
Synonyms for hold offnext
  • Mow May is pretty self-explanatory – just hold off on cutting your lawn for the month.
    — Lauren Wethington, Detroit Free Press, 11 May 2022
  • The goal is no longer just to help the Ukrainians hold off Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
    — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 May 2022
  • Light enough to be sported on a summer evening, but comfy enough to hold off any chilly nights, denim outerwear is a year-round essential.
    — Thomas Hindle, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2022
  • This is also not the best time to be making important purchases, so maybe hold off for now on booking that cruise or applying for that travel credit card.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2024
  • McElroy’s squad battled through a tumultuous fifth inning to hold off a comeback by the Tigers (10-4).
    — Colin Bannen, BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2022
  • Despite the outcome in Nebraska, Never-Trumpers should hold off on the celebrations.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 11 May 2022
  • The National Weather Service expects a period of about 24 hours where rain will hold off through the region as a brief area of high pressure builds.
    — oregonlive, 10 May 2022
  • During times of turmoil, some investors have to come to expect what's known as the Fed put, or the Fed’s tendency to cut rates or hold off on rate increases in response to market turmoil.
    — WSJ, 6 May 2022
  • But that wasn’t enough to hold off Mahomes and the Chiefs.
    — Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2022
  • Highs make the low 70s as long as the showers hold off.
    — David Streit, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2022
  • Conran quickly saw that the men on the ground could not hold off the NVA for long.
    — Barry Barnett, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2024
  • If a plant's soil feels wet to the touch, hold off watering for now.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 26 May 2022
  • Is there a reason Democrats should hold off on the champagne?
    — David Faris, The Week, 18 May 2022
  • The Celtics never trailed in the game, but had to hold off a frantic rally by the Heat, cheered by a home crowd.
    — Harold Maass, The Week, 30 May 2022
  • There’s a chance the rain will hold off until early 2023 and that First Night will be mild but dry.
    — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022
  • Showers are likely to hold off until evening and should be on the light side.
    — David Streit, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2023
  • The men of the 93rd Brigade are at the forefront of efforts to hold off the Russian advance south of Izium.
    — New York Times, 1 June 2022
  • The leader at the midweek point, Gary holds off some strong contenders.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
  • But in the meantime, the school wanted to hold off on paying Gibson’s.
    — Laura Hancock, cleveland, 9 Aug. 2022
  • So the key is hold off for the bottom and then calmly take your time buying the aftermath of the crash.
    — Clem Chambers, Forbes, 15 June 2022
  • AccuWeather is saying the rains will hold off for most of Carb Day.
    — Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 21 May 2024
  • The Sun Devils were able to hold off a valiant comeback effort from the Mustangs.
    — Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Gotham then had to hold off an OL Reign team that became more desperate as the game wore on.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2023
  • An initial stem cell transplant couldn’t hold off the cancer for more than half a year.
    — Angus Chen, STAT, 2 June 2022
  • Retail analysts break down the best items from your list to buy in advance, and where to hold off.
    — Rachel Wolfe, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022
  • Custer got to the lead after a late restart, holding off Justin Allgaier and Byron.
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2024
  • And then the Panthers stayed true to their typical brand of lockdown defense in the third to hold off the Oilers.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 June 2024
  • Brooks and Gleb narrowly held off on kissing at the end of their routine.
    — Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024
  • In his only pre-season game to date, Gauthier was held off the scoresheet in the Ducks’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks on Sept. 26.
    — Carol Schram, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
  • The first question would have added $410 per student to the operating levy in order to hold off classroom staffing cuts, and offer K-8 world language classes, among other items.
    — Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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