held off (on)

verb

past tense of hold off (on)
as in postponed
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 held off (on)
  1. postponed
  2. delayed
  3. deferred
Verb
  • Researchers can use this moment to finally build the ethical infrastructure around the cultivation of insider sources and source compensation that the field has postponed for too long.
    — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Saturday’s game in Liberty was postponed after a Cardinals player suffered a medical emergency on the sideline and died.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of postponed
Verb
  • That level of demand for the robot has quickly delayed delivery times for new orders past the initial promise of Christmas 2026.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Good enough on time beats perfect production delayed every time.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • When Ohtani sought a $700 million package that deferred 98 percent of the salary, Moreno declined to engage.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Suzy Batlle, who owns an ice cream shop on Southwest Eighth Street, said the plan feels rushed and asked that the planning board vote be deferred.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of deferred
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.

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held off
held off (on)
held on
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Cite this Entry

“Held off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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