1
as in turning back
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2
as in putting off
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off
Verb
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Week 8 highlights include Acalanes beating Campolindo in a matchup between unbeaten teams, Los Gatos getting a signature win at Wilcox, California turning back San Ramon Valley and more.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025 -
The night will be remembered for Scherzer turning back the clock at 41, pitching 5 2/3 innings in the Jays’ 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners that evened the series at two games apiece.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Encouraging firms to allocate more shares for retail investors risks putting off the foreign institutions Saudi Arabia is simultaneously trying to woo.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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This helps the shoe absorb impact, pushing off energy back towards you and putting off foot fatigue.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bradley cited the classic work of sociology, Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, with the memorable thesis that Americans were turning away from community.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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Steve Rubell, as a sort of publicity stunt, had started turning away celebrities in order to make the newspapers.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Weiss made a career for herself as an op-ed staff editor at The New York Times before breaking off from the mainstream publication in 2020 and launching the Free Press.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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Lopez and Affleck, one of the quintessential pop culture couples of the early 2000s, famously rekindled their romance in 2021 and wed the following year, two decades after breaking off their first engagement in late 2002.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
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Jake Browning's second three-interception game in four weeks has got the Cincinnati Bengals searching for answers, which include potentially shelving the quarterback ahead of a showdown with the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
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Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This admission seemed sad—critics are supposed to take pride in withstanding disagreement.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, are extremely durable, withstanding heat, water, and oil.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Newsom's office previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital, deferring responsibility for the situation to the CIF, CDE and state legislature.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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Had Darnold not crumbled in the postseason, re-signing him to a multi-year deal and deferring McCarthy to a three-year development plan would have been reasonable.—
Trevor Squire,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Holding off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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