hold off meaning and examples

Meaning

• Hold off means to delay doing something, postpone an action, or keep something or someone away for a period of time.
• It can also mean to resist or prevent something from happening immediately.

Grammar and Usage

• Phrasal verb

• Structure:

  • hold off on + noun/gerund → delay something.
  • hold off + object → prevent or resist someone/something.

Examples of patterns:

• "hold off on making a decision" (postpone)
• "hold off the attackers" (resist/stop)

Common Phrases

• hold off on making a decision
• hold off the enemy
• hold off until tomorrow
• hold off the rain

Collocations

• hold off + decision
• hold off + announcement
• hold off + purchase
• hold off + attackers
• hold off + storm

Examples

1. We decided to hold off on buying a new car until next year.
2. The manager asked the team to hold off making any announcements until the contract was signed.
3. The soldiers managed to hold off the enemy until reinforcements arrived.
4. Let’s hold off until the weather clears up before we go hiking.
5. He tried to hold off the creditors by promising to pay them later.
6. They had to hold off their plans due to lack of funding.
7. The medicine can hold off the infection for a while.
8. Please hold off on calling her until I finish this meeting.

Synonyms or Related

• delay
• postpone
• put off
• defer
• resist
• fend off

Antonym

• proceed
• continue
• go ahead
• advance