held off

verb

past tense of hold off
1
as in turned back

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2
as in put off

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held off
  1. turned back
  2. put off
  3. turned away
  4. broke off
  5. resisted
  6. deferred
  7. opposed
  8. postponed
Verb
  • Climbing parties on the Normal Route had turned back earlier in the day.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • After one more rejection by Canada, the ship turned back to Europe.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Definition of turned back
Verb
  • For anyone who has been putting off a checkup, over the counter hearing aids have made treatment easier to access than ever, which turns this into one of the simplest risk factors on the list to actually address.
    — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
  • Most savvy shoppers these days are hardly put off by where an item sits in the store, and Chavarria says his menswear is often bought by women.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Definition of put off
Verb
  • Egypt had one more chance before the end of regulation, but Haissem Hassan was turned away by Souttar, who deflected the shot with his knee.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Several American applicants were allegedly turned away even when the companies were actively hiring.
    — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of turned away
Verb
  • The directing duo received awards buzz for 2019's Uncut Gems, after which the pair broke off.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
  • Sure, one robot landed a backflip—but then a piece of it broke off and flew toward the crowd.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of broke off
Verb
  • Hibon says the filmmakers deliberately resisted recreating the look of the old cartoon.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
  • Europe has long resisted air conditioning as noisy, an eyesore on architectural facades and unnecessary, as brutal summer heat has been relatively short-lived.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of resisted
Verb
  • The commission deferred the interim agreement vote until June, and deferred it again to Thursday.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Besides the sheer audacity of the number was the idea that all but $20 million of it would be deferred well into the future.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of deferred
Verb
  • All Democrats in Congress vehemently opposed the bill and three Senate Republicans—Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina—voted against it.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Mayor Rusty Knox has been one of the voices opposed to expanding the lanes.
    — Michael Praats, Charlotte Observer, 4 July 2026
Definition of opposed
Verb
  • Richie then postponed his following concerts at Chicago’s United Center and the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • In Pennsylvania and New Jersey alone, nearly a dozen July Fourth events have been called off or postponed because of the weather.
    — Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Definition of postponed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

held (in)
held off
held off (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Held off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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