Hold off is a phrasal verb, and it means to delay or postpone something. There are a number of synonyms for hold off, such as defer, postpone, delay, put off, reschedule, procrastinate, and stall. Each of these synonyms has a slightly different connotation and can be used in different situations. For example, defer is often used in formal contexts to indicate that a decision is being postponed, while procrastinate is often used in informal contexts to indicate that someone is putting off a task or responsibility. Regardless of the synonym used, each conveys the message of temporarily delaying something.