phrasal verb · neutral

put on hold

UK/pʊt ɒn həʊld/US/pʊt ɑn hoʊld/put·on·HOLD

speakingtask2

temporarily delay or suspend something

Examples

The university put the exchange programme on hold because of travel restrictions.

The phone company put my call on hold while they checked the account.

Funding was cut, so the project has been put on hold indefinitely.

Band 8 sentence

Due to unforeseen budget cuts, the department decided to put the pilot programme on hold while they revise the funding plan.

Collocations

  • put something on hold
  • be put on hold
  • temporarily put on hold

Word family

put on hold phrasal verb

Common mistakes

put in holdput on hold

put on the holdput on hold

Say it for a higher band

5delay6postpone7+put on hold

Synonyms

suspend

delay

Easily confused

delay

They delayed the opening because of bad weather.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In put …

Learn it with its set