Looking for synonyms for hold off? We’ve got you covered!
Here’s a list of other ways to say hold off.
- Postpone
- Delay
- Defer
- Wait
- Stall
- Procrastinate
- Adjourn
- Suspend
- Prolong
- Shelve
- Hesitate
- Table
- Remit
- Reschedule
- Temporize
Want to learn how to say hold off professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.
1. Postpone
Usage: Appropriate for formally delaying an event or decision to a later time.
Example: “The meeting was postponed due to the unavailability of key participants.”
2. Delay
Usage: Suitable for causing something to happen at a later time than originally planned.
Example: “We had to delay the product launch due to unforeseen technical issues.”
3. Defer
Usage: Ideal for putting off an action or decision to a later time, often for strategic reasons.
Example: “The board decided to defer the investment decision to the next quarter.”
4. Wait
Usage: Appropriate when a pause or inaction is chosen, often temporarily.
Example: “We should wait for the market analysis report before finalizing our strategy.”
5. Stall
Usage: Used when intentionally slowing down a process or delaying an action.
Example: “Negotiations were stalled to gather more information on the proposal.”
6. Procrastinate
Usage: Generally used in a negative context, implying an unnecessary delay due to lack of action.
Example: “The team cannot afford to procrastinate on this critical project deadline.”
7. Adjourn
Usage: Suitable for formally suspending the proceedings of a meeting or public body to a later time.
Example: “The conference was adjourned until 3 PM after the lunch break.”
8. Suspend
Usage: Ideal for temporarily stopping an activity or process.
Example: “Production was suspended due to equipment failure.”
9. Prolong
Usage: Used when extending the duration of something, often unnecessarily.
Example: “Prolonging the decision-making process could affect our competitive edge.”
10. Shelve
Usage: Appropriate for putting aside a plan or project, usually indefinitely.
Example: “Due to budget constraints, the expansion plans were shelved.”
11. Hesitate
Usage: Suitable for pausing before taking an action, often due to uncertainty.
Example: “The manager hesitated to approve the budget without further review.”
12. Table
Usage: Used in meetings to mean postponing consideration of a topic.
Example: “The committee agreed to table the discussion until more data was available.”
13. Remit
Usage: Appropriate for sending back a matter for reconsideration.
Example: “The proposal was remitted to the subcommittee for further refinement.”
14. Reschedule
Usage: Ideal for arranging for an event or activity to take place at a different time.
Example: “The training session was rescheduled to accommodate more participants.”
15. Temporize
Usage: Used when avoiding making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain more time.
Example: “The leadership seemed to temporize rather than confront the pressing issues directly.”
