Hold sth off Meaning, Examples & How to Use in English

What Does “Hold sth off” Mean?

“Hold sth off” means to delay or prevent something from happening for a period of time.

Introduction

The phrase “hold sth off” is a common phrasal verb used in English to describe the action of stopping or delaying something. It usually refers to postponing an event, action, or problem temporarily. Understanding the “hold sth off meaning” helps learners use it naturally in conversations, whether talking about delaying work, stopping an attack, or postponing decisions. This phrase is useful in many everyday contexts and can make your English sound more fluent and natural.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: hold something off
• Type: transitive
• Level: B2
• Short meaning: to delay or prevent something temporarily

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Hold sth off” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object either between “hold” and “off” or after “off.”

• hold something off
• hold off something

Example patterns:

• Subject + hold + object + off
• Subject + hold + off + object

How to Use “Hold sth off”?

You use “hold sth off” when you want to express that something is being delayed or stopped for a while. It can refer to physical actions, like holding off an attacker, or abstract ideas, like holding off a decision or a deadline. It is often used in informal to semi-formal contexts.

Examples

Here are some natural sentences using “hold sth off”:

• We managed to hold the storm off until the guests left.
• The company is trying to hold off layoffs until next year.
• She held off answering the question until she was sure.
• The army held off the enemy troops for several hours.
• Can you hold off the meeting until I arrive?

These examples show how “hold sth off in a sentence” is commonly used to express delay or prevention.

Common Mistakes

Sometimes learners confuse “hold sth off” with similar phrases or misuse the word order. Here are some examples:

• Incorrect: Hold off the rain.
• Correct: Hold the rain off.
• Incorrect: I will off hold the decision.
• Correct: I will hold off the decision.

Remember, “hold sth off” is separable, so placing the object correctly is important.

Differences / Synonyms

“Hold sth off” is similar to “put off,” “delay,” and “postpone,” but with slight differences. “Hold off” often implies actively preventing or resisting something temporarily, while “put off” and “postpone” usually focus on delaying planned events.

• Hold sth off: actively delay or prevent something temporarily (e.g., hold off an attack).
• Put off: delay something to a later time (e.g., put off a meeting).
• Postpone: officially delay an event or action (e.g., postpone the exam).

Common Collocations

“Hold sth off” is often used with these objects:

• Attack: to stop or delay an attack temporarily.
• Storm: to prevent or delay bad weather.
• Decision: to delay making a choice or judgment.
• Deadline: to delay the due date for a task or project.
• Meeting: to postpone or delay a scheduled gathering.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of hold sth off:

• Hold Sb Up
• Hold Out On Sb
• Hold Sb Up As Sth
• Hold With Sth
• Hold Sb Down

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “hold sth off”:

Anna: The deadline is coming up fast. Can we hold off submitting the report?

John: Yes, I think we can hold it off until next week.

Anna: Great! That gives us more time to check the data.

Practice

Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “hold sth off”:

• I hope we can ______ the rain until the picnic is over.
• They decided to ______ making a final decision until tomorrow.
• The soldiers managed to ______ the enemy attack for hours.
• Can you ______ the meeting until I finish my work?

FAQs

• Q: Is “hold sth off” formal or informal?

  A: It is mostly used in informal and semi-formal contexts.

• Q: Can I use “hold off” without an object?

  A: Yes, but it has a slightly different meaning, like delaying action in general.
• Q: What is the difference between “hold off” and “put off”?

  A: “Hold off” suggests actively preventing or delaying temporarily, while “put off” means to postpone something to a later time.

• Q: Can “hold sth off” be used in all tenses?

  A: Yes, it can be used in past, present, and future tenses.
• Q: Is “hold sth off” separable?

  A: Yes, you can place the object between “hold” and “off” or after “off.”