"hold on" vs "hold off"

Question

"hold on" vs "hold off"

The phrases 'hold on' and 'hold off' have different meanings and are not directly comparable. 'Hold on' is used to ask someone to wait or pause, while 'hold off' means to delay or postpone something. They are not interchangeable and are used in different contexts.

Last Updated: March 27, 2024

It is used to ask someone to wait or pause, often used in conversations or situations where a delay is needed.

Examples:

Hold on a moment, I'll be right back.
Hold on, let me finish what I'm doing first.
Can you hold on for a second while I grab my keys?

Alternatives:

wait a moment
pause for a second
hang on
stay put
hold your horses

It means to delay or postpone something, often used in situations where a decision or action needs to be put on hold.

Examples:

Let's hold off on making a decision until we have more information.
They decided to hold off on the project until next year.
I think we should hold off on announcing the news until later.

Alternatives:

delay
postpone
put off
wait
defer

Answer 1

hold on

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

hold off

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"hold on" vs "hold off"

hold on

hold off

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