English verb: hold off | |||
| 1. | hold off (competition) resist and fight to a standoff | ||
| Samples | Dallas had enough of a lead to hold the Broncos off. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | hold out, resist, stand firm, withstand | ||
| 2. | hold off (stative) wait before acting | ||
| Samples | The scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment. | ||
| Examples | They hold off a long time | ||
| Synonyms | hold back, wait | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s VERB-ing | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | act, move | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | delay, hold out | ||