# hold off

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hold-off
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To delay (someone or something) temporarily; to keep at bay.

## Examples

- Can you hold off dinner for ten minutes?
- The rain held off long enough for us to finish the picnic.
- Though the enemy pressed hard against the gates, the defenders managed to hold them off until reinforcements arrived at dawn.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.