on hold
Idioms-
In a state of temporary interruption, but not disconnection, during a telephone call, as in While I was on hold, I checked my calendar for when I could schedule a meeting , or They had to put me on hold while they looked up my account . [c. 1960]
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In a state of postponement or delay, as in When she was transferred, they had to put their romance on hold . This figurative usage is a broadened sense of def. 1. [ Colloquial ; c. 1970]
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 added the organisation was "essentially putting science on hold" by temporarily suspending all access to its online research platform while it put additional controls in place "to prevent anything like this happening again".
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Seven other states’ plans to redraw maps have either been blocked or put on hold.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
He put the investigation on hold shortly before the California Supreme Court halted it pending further review.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Peace talks due to take place in Pakistan are on hold for now.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
It was me who’d alter everything, putting my passions and career dreams on hold, to fulfill this piece of our dream.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
