hold off

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

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

Example Sentences

But exports to China have fallen by over 50 percent in value this year, and Chinese buyers have held off on new soybean orders from the US autumn harvest.

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The Dolphins repeatedly fed him the ball down the stretch and scored on the touchdown catch by Waller, but couldn’t hold off Herbert’s final drive.

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“I am sure all the customers will hold off the shipment. Then there will be no shipment from China to the U.S.,”

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"They held off for 10 days," Republican Senator John Thune told reporters, referring to the White House.

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It's unclear why Robbie is holding off on sharing Britpop until February, but Taylor's latest album soared straight to number one on the Official Album Chart.

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