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 No. 13 Michigan State women held off USC’s late comeback bid for a narrow victory on Thursday night.

From Los Angeles Times

You have a dilemma: If you hold off on claiming your own retirement benefit, you’d get more every month when you do eventually file an application.

From MarketWatch

Starmer, who for a year has assiduously courted the president and held off publicly rebuking him, has now changed course.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Rams led by 16 points in the fourth quarter but could not hold off the Seahawks.

From Los Angeles Times

Later, however, he agreed with the president’s decision to hold off on a strike.

From The Wall Street Journal