hold off

British  

verb

1. (tr) to keep apart or at a distance

2. to refrain (from doing something)

   he held off buying the house until prices fell slightly

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hold off Idioms  

1. Keep at a distance, resist, delay, as in This payment should hold off the creditors . [Early 1400]

2. Stop or delay from action, as in Let's hold off until we know more . [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

The central bank is also unlikely to hold off on cuts to support the rupee, which has been depreciating against the U.S. dollar, said Shilan Shah of Capital Economics.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I would argue that it may be sensible to hold off for now,” Morrison wrote.

From MarketWatch

If Mr Strahl can't land a holiday job, he plans to cut down on holiday gifts and hold off on some car repairs.

From BBC

Shoppers often hold off buying items in anticipation of a better deal on the day, but none of the 175 products tracked by Which? were at their cheapest price of the year on Black Friday.

From BBC

Daly said the Fed shouldn’t hold off on cutting rates now out of fear it may need to reverse course later.

From The Wall Street Journal