as in postponing
to assign to a later time
we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding off (on)
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 -
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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Unusually warm and dry weather from late September into early October may be delaying peak fall color in some places, and could also result in a shorter, less vibrant season, said Adam Schneider, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in a recent blog post.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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MicroStrategy remains the leader among corporate crypto treasuries, holding over 638,000 bitcoins valued at an astonishing $71 billion.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 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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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 (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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