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
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
The next game’s starter usually learns his assignment after the last practice before the game, but the coaches decided to hold off for a discussion on Saturday.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
Greater uncertainty can lead firms to hold off investing and households to refrain from spending.
—London Business School, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
The depth of the class could allow Baltimore to hold off until Day 2 or even Day 3 before adding to a group that includes Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
That allowed Van Lith and Prince to combine for 21 points in the second half to hold off a Louisville rally.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
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Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
Greater uncertainty can lead firms to hold off investing and households to refrain from spending.
—London Business School, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
The depth of the class could allow Baltimore to hold off until Day 2 or even Day 3 before adding to a group that includes Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
That allowed Van Lith and Prince to combine for 21 points in the second half to hold off a Louisville rally.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold off
Cite this Entry
“Hold off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20off. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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