hold off
Britishverb
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(tr) to keep apart or at a distance
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to refrain (from doing something)
he held off buying the house until prices fell slightly
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Keep at a distance, resist, delay, as in This payment should hold off the creditors . [Early 1400]
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Stop or delay from action, as in Let's hold off until we know more . [c. 1600]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The US State Department announced on Friday that Marco Rubio would hold talks in Monday in Israel, leading some observers to conclude this meant any potential strike would be held off at least until afterwards.
From Barron's
“If talks break down, the upside risk remains, but the market may hold off on a full reaction until the scale of potential U.S. action against Iran becomes clearer.”
The powerful striker held off his marker and beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who handled the shot poorly and might have kept it out.
From Barron's
The largest nuclear energy provider in the U.S. posted adjusted earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations but held off on providing 2026 guidance, saying it would share its outlook late next month.
From Barron's
Constellation held off on issuing an outlook for 2026, saying instead that it would provide guidance on a call with investors on March 31.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
