holds off (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold off (on)
as in postpones
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 holds off (on)
  1. postpones
  2. delays
  3. holds over
  4. defers
Verb
  • The injury postpones any plans to send the 20-year-old out on loan.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Or someone managing diabetes who postpones a preventive visit because grocery shopping, prescription pickups, and coordinating multiple specialists compete for limited time and energy.
    — Aimée K. Dailey, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of postpones
Verb
  • In this scenario, the heart attack now drives the pricing, while the prostate cancer delays the application.
    — Howard Wolinsky, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Fat actually delays gastric emptying and digestion even more, keeping blood sugar much steadier.
    — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • His phone holds over 11,000 voice memos, many of them musical ideas.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Pacific time, It will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which holds over 100,000 spectators.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of holds over
Verb
  • But the order only defers the tax obligation, creating confusion about whether truckers may have to pay up at some point.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But holding back defers crucial conversations about goals, methods, and the limits of American aid.
    — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of defers
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

holds off
holds off (on)
holds on
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Cite this Entry

“Holds off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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