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
Recent Examples on the Web
Japanese and South Korean authorities scrambled to talk up their currencies, Indonesia told state firms to hold off on big dollar purchases and Malaysia issued an intervention warning.
—
Enda Curran, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The event room was filling up fast, despite the fact that library director Mara Strickler held off on posting my visit to social media until three days before, opting instead for a word-of-mouth campaign.
—Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Diamond Hill-Jarvis boys take early lead, outlast Bridgeport Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis scored two first-half goals then had to hold off a Bridgeport rally to down the Bulls 3-1 in a boys Class 4A soccer regional quarterfinal on Tuesday at Kangaroo Stadium in Weatherford.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Ross Chastain holds off a charging Bubba Wallace and wins Stage 2!
Lap 157: Bubba Wallace cuts to the inside and passes Erik Jones for second!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
The rain held off in Moraga but the Gaels poured on tries and dominated possession.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Franklin charmed a foreign nation, convinced an absolute monarch to fund a war for liberty, held off his own bitter countrymen (like John Adams), and forged a defensive pact that brought France (and most importantly their navy) into the war.
—Craig Bruce Smith, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Also, there is no shortage of stories across the county of landlords who might have held off on increases in the past three years but now are suddenly raising rents at the maximum allowed by law.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Finally, 20 minutes before the shooting, a guidance counselor asked to search the boy for the weapon, but Parker told him to hold off because his mother would be there soon.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Enda Curran, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The event room was filling up fast, despite the fact that library director Mara Strickler held off on posting my visit to social media until three days before, opting instead for a word-of-mouth campaign.
—Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Diamond Hill-Jarvis boys take early lead, outlast Bridgeport Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis scored two first-half goals then had to hold off a Bridgeport rally to down the Bulls 3-1 in a boys Class 4A soccer regional quarterfinal on Tuesday at Kangaroo Stadium in Weatherford.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Ross Chastain holds off a charging Bubba Wallace and wins Stage 2!
Lap 157: Bubba Wallace cuts to the inside and passes Erik Jones for second!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
The rain held off in Moraga but the Gaels poured on tries and dominated possession.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Franklin charmed a foreign nation, convinced an absolute monarch to fund a war for liberty, held off his own bitter countrymen (like John Adams), and forged a defensive pact that brought France (and most importantly their navy) into the war.
—Craig Bruce Smith, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Also, there is no shortage of stories across the county of landlords who might have held off on increases in the past three years but now are suddenly raising rents at the maximum allowed by law.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Finally, 20 minutes before the shooting, a guidance counselor asked to search the boy for the weapon, but Parker told him to hold off because his mother would be there soon.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
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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Cite this Entry
“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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