How to Use hold off in a Sentence

hold off

verb
Definition of hold offnext
Synonyms for hold offnext
  • 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 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
  • Although you may be used to seeking advice from friends, hold off on that for now -- try to work it out between the two of you this time.
    — Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
  • The Rangers may hold off a day until after Jacob deGrom makes his final start of the spring.
    — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Rain chances hold off until midday, when a light, stray shower could pop.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023
  • Lucky for us the torrential rains held off until the party ended.
    — Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2023
  • Dickinson was one of many heroes on a night KU held off a Samford team that sliced a 22-point deficit to one late.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
  • This should prompt you to hold off on any rigorous workouts until the cause of the pain is determined.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Health, 12 Jan. 2024
  • Then Carr and Allen combined for Texas’ final 13 points to hold off the Cardinals.
    — Dallas News, 18 Dec. 2022
  • Bad Bunny is ringing in the new year with money and good vibes but is holding off on wedding bells.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
  • This seems to have worked: Dart left the spring in the driver's seat and should eventually hold off Sanders, a multiple-year starter with the Cowboys.
    — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Fox News agreed to hold off on announcing the event until the show was broadcast on October 6.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Isaac Okoro added 17 points — all in the first half — as the Cavs held off a late Clippers’ comeback and ended the Clippers’ winning streak at five.
    — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Roosevelt led by as many as 21 points and 18 after three quarters before holding off a late surge by the Storm.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2023
  • Yet over the past few months, officials have held off on raising rates to gauge whether their policies are working.
    — Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
  • Ukrainian forces at the time were also fiercely holding off the Russians in Bakhmut.
    — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Kansas City would have to hold off Jalen Hurts and the Eagles as the star quarterback tied the game with 5:15 left with a 2-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Any light shower chance should hold off until after dark.
    — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
  • As of now, models suggest the rain could hold off for the morning before moving in during the afternoon and evening.
    — Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2023
  • The next night, the Bison nearly blew a 17-point lead in the second half before holding off South Carolina State to advance to the final.
    — Scott Allen, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023
  • Many homeowners held off on selling their homes, hoping the lawsuit would overturn the tax.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The question is whether Faber can give himself a big enough cushion to hold off Bedard once the young Blackhawks star returns to action.
    — Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Evangel built a 59-48 lead early in the fourth quarter but had to hold off a Holy Cross run led by senior Jacob Meyer.
    — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 30 Jan. 2023
  • This may include more discounts than last year or holding off on raising prices.
    — Jennifer Williams-Alvarez, WSJ, 19 Nov. 2023
  • Any showers — perhaps with a rumble of thunder or a downpour — should hold off until the hours closest to dawn.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 22 July 2023
  • The back and forth might explain why Microsoft held off on an Xbox Series X price increase for nearly a year.
    — Tom Warren, The Verge, 18 Sep. 2023
  • The water behind the dam kept growing because Phil was holding off sequences.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 23 June 2023
  • But a series of conservation measures and the construction of new reservoirs in the 1990s held off that deadline for more than a decade.
    — David Gelles, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023

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.

Last Updated: