HOLD OFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hold off mean? 

• HOLD OFF (verb)
  The verb HOLD OFF has 2 senses:

1. resist and fight to a standoff

2. wait before acting

  Familiarity information: HOLD OFF used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HOLD OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Resist and fight to a standoff

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

Dallas had enough of a lead to hold the Broncos off

Hypernyms (to "hold off" is one way to...):

hold out; resist; stand firm; withstand (stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Wait before acting

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

hold back; hold off; wait

Context example:

the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment

Hypernyms (to "hold off" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hold off"):

hold out (wait uncompromisingly for something desirable)

delay (act later than planned, scheduled, or required)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

They hold off a long time

 Context examples 

If you sign a document under these aspects, you will be building in a volatile aspect to the entire term of the venture, so hold off until month’s end.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

I rigged up a contraption to hold off those stinking beasts, and I spent a happy day there with a spud.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This will continue in the first three weeks of November, so hold off making big decisions or purchases if you can help it.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

If you are given papers to sign, hold off doing so until Mercury is direct, and leave a space of days.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Hold off on buying a new car, computer, smart phone, kitchen appliance, or anything else you might need.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

If you are about to sign papers, hold off signing this month and wait until December to do so, or risk regretting the agreement altogether or later finding a need to redo it completely.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Also, this month, your ruler Mercury will go retrograde from February 16 until March 9, giving you another reason to hold off on making big decisions if you don’t have to in any area of life, including surgery.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Also, hold off on having a face-lift (skin) or any treatments or surgery that change the look of your body shape, such as cold sculpting. (If you are considering this, do research first, as some people have had serious problems with this new procedure. Having information is always wise.)

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)