hold off

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌhəʊld ˈɒf/
US: /ˌhoʊld ˈɔːf/

  1. To delay doing something; to postpone.

    1. Let's hold off making a decision until next week.
    2. We should hold off on buying a new car until we have more money saved in the bank.

  2. To resist or defend against an attack.

    1. They managed to hold off the enemy for several hours.
    2. The soldiers were able to hold off the advancing army until reinforcements arrived.

  3. To keep someone or something at a distance.

    1. Hold off the dog; it might bite.
    2. The police used barriers to hold off the crowd from approaching the building.

Synonyms

postpone repel resist fend off delay

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "hold off" in English means: To delay doing something; to postpone., To resist or defend against an attack., To keep someone or something at a distance..

The phonetic transcription of "hold off" is /ˌhəʊld ˈɒf/ in British English and /ˌhoʊld ˈɔːf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "hold off": postpone, repel, resist, fend off, delay.

Example usage of "hold off": "Let's hold off making a decision until next week.". More examples on the page.