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.
He had to hold off a charge from Scottie Scheffler to do it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The BBC's US partner CBS and other outlets reported that law enforcement had requested that media hold off publishing details of any of the notes while they investigated Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
If what you say is correct, you don’t have a big reason to hold off on claiming your Social Security to make the most out of your survivor benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Portugal got a stoppage-time goal from Goncalo Ramos and a friendly VAR decision to hold off Croatia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Hopefully the rain would hold off until I could find Jessica.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
