hold off

verb

held off; holding off; holds off
Synonyms of hold offnext

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 of hold off

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
Her team is likely holding off until the 2028 ceremony, when her debut album PRIMA will be eligible for consideration. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026 Briscoe held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to win his second straight NASCAR playoff race in a photo finish on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, vaulting him into contention to earn his first Cup Series championship. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Political uncertainty is hampering business investment, France’s biggest business group has warned, while anxious consumers are holding off on purchases. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 The veteran held off any trash talk to start the game, but Wilson started a little chatter of his own, teasing Brooks about an altercation Monday with Detroit Pistons forward John Collins. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hold off

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of hold off was in the 15th century

Rhymes for hold off

See All Rhymes for hold off

Browse Nearby Words

hold no terror(s)
hold off
hold off on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All