Postponed Phrasal Verbs|25 Examples

Before we dig deeper in to the concept of postponed phrasal verbs, let’s grasp the concept of “postponed.” The term “postponed” is an adjective used to describe something that has been rescheduled or delayed to a later time or date than originally planned. When an event, activity, appointment, or task is postponed, it means that it will not happen at the initially scheduled or expected time but has been moved to a later time.

For example:

• If a meeting that was supposed to occur today is postponed until tomorrow, it means the meeting will now take place on the following day instead.
• If a concert is postponed due to bad weather, it means the concert organizers have decided to reschedule it for a later date when the weather conditions are more favorable.
• If you postpone a dentist appointment, it means you’ve requested to change the appointment to a later time or date than the one originally set.

In essence, “postponed” indicates a temporary delay or rescheduling of something that was initially planned or expected to occur sooner. It’s a term often used when circumstances or conditions necessitate a change in timing.

25 Postponed Phrasal Verbs 

Now, let’s go ahead and explore postponed phrasal verbs and the phrasal verbs related to “postponed” in English.

Call Off 

Imagine you’re planning a picnic, but the weather decides not to cooperate. What do you do? You “call off” the picnic. It means to cancel or postpone an event or plan. “Sorry, folks, we have to call off the picnic due to rain.”

Call Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• They had to call off the soccer match due to heavy rain.
• The company decided to call off the annual conference because of the pandemic.
• Sarah had to call off her birthday party because she got sick.
• The airline called off several flights because of the snowstorm.
• The teacher had to call off the field trip because not enough students signed up.

Put Off 

Procrastination is a common human trait, isn’t it? When you delay doing something you should do, you “put it off.” “I can’t put off studying for my English exam any longer!”

Put Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• Don’t put off doing your homework until the last minute.
• I keep putting off cleaning the garage; it’s a mess now.
• She put off going to the doctor even though she wasn’t feeling well.
• If you put off paying your bills, you’ll face late fees.
• We can’t put off making a decision any longer; we need to choose a vacation destination.

Hold Off 

Sometimes, you need to delay taking action or making a decision. That’s when you “hold off.” “Let’s hold off on buying that new car until we’ve saved enough.”

Hold Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The manager decided to hold off on implementing the new policy until further notice.
• We should hold off on making dinner until our guests arrive.
• The coach told the team to hold off on practicing because of the thunderstorm.
• The teacher asked the students to hold off on asking questions until she finished the lecture.

Brush Off 

Imagine someone is trying to give you constructive criticism, but you ignore it. You’re “brushing it off.” “Don’t brush off feedback; it can help you improve.”

Brush Off Examples:

• He tried to brush off his mistakes, but they were affecting the project.
• She brushed off her friend’s concerns about her health.
• Don’t brush off criticism; it can help you grow.
• The manager brushed off the customer’s complaints, which only made things worse.
• It’s not polite to brush off someone’s invitation to a social event.

Write Off 

When you decide that something isn’t important or achievable, you “write it off.” “Don’t write off your dreams just because they seem difficult.”

Write Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• Don’t write off the possibility of getting the job just because the interview was tough.
• Some people write off learning a new language as too difficult.
• Despite the setbacks, he refused to write off his business idea.
• She regretted writing off her old car; it still had some life left in it.
• The team decided to write off the game as a loss and focus on the next one.

Put Aside 

Let’s say you decide to save a portion of your allowance for a special purchase. You “put aside” money for that. “I’m putting aside $20 each week for a new video game.”

Put Aside Phrasal Verb Examples:

• Every month, I make sure to put aside a portion of my salary into my savings account.
• Despite my busy schedule, I try to put aside some time each evening to pursue my hobbies, like painting.
• It’s essential to put aside some money for emergencies, like unexpected medical expenses or car repairs.
• We’re excited about our summer vacation, so we’ve been diligently putting money aside for our trip to Europe.
• To excel in my exams, I need to put aside distractions and dedicate more time to studying.

Shut Out 

To exclude or postpone someone or something from a group or activity is to “shut them out.” “They shut out new admissions from the school until further notice.”

Shut Out Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The talented goalkeeper managed to shut out the opposing team, preventing them from scoring a single goal.
• The club shuts out new members until they update their membership requirements.
• The team was open to new suggestions, but they had to shut out impractical ideas to focus on the project’s goals.
• The government tried to shut out sensitive information to maintain national security.

Hold Over 

Imagine a movie’s release date gets pushed to a later date. It’s “held over.” “The highly anticipated movie’s release was held over due to production delays.”

Hold Over Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The company decided to hold over the product launch until they resolved the last-minute quality issues, ensuring a successful debut.
• They had to hold over the construction project because of a shortage of materials caused by a supplier’s delay.
• Due to a family emergency, they had to hold over their vacation plans and reschedule their flights.
• The restaurant couldn’t accommodate us at our reserved time, so they offered to hold over our reservation for a later slot.

Push Back 

Sometimes, deadlines need to be postponed to accommodate additional work. You “push back” the deadline. “We had to push back the project deadline to ensure quality.”

Push Back Phrasal Verb Examples:

• They had to push back their vacation plans by a few days because their passports weren’t ready in time for their original departure date.
• Due to bad weather conditions, the airline had to push back the flight departure time by two hours.
• The manager had to push back the weekly team meeting to the afternoon to allow everyone to finish their tasks.
• The software company decided to push back the software’s release date to fix some last-minute bugs.
• The unexpected delay in the delivery of construction materials forced them to push back the completion date for the new building by a month.

Hold Up 

Bad weather might delay construction work. In this case, the project is “held up.” “Construction was held up due to heavy rain.”

Hold Up Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The accident on the highway held up traffic for hours, causing a massive delay in everyone’s commute.
• The daring bank robbery held up the entire bank for nearly half an hour before the police arrived.
• Technical issues with the video conferencing software held up the start of the online meeting.
• The package delivery was held up due to adverse weather conditions, causing it to arrive a day later than expected.
• The film shoot was held up because of the actor’s unexpected illness, leading to a rescheduling of the scenes.

Set Aside 

If you reserve time or money for a specific purpose, you “set it aside.” “I’ve set aside an hour each day for exercise.”

Set Aside Phrasal Verb Examples:

• It’s wise to set aside a portion of your income for unexpected expenses or emergencies.
• To excel in your exams, it’s essential to set aside dedicated study time each day.
• Despite their busy schedules, they always make sure to set aside quality family time on weekends.
• She used a special shelf in her library to set aside her favorite books for easy access.
• He sets aside time every morning for meditation and reflection to help him focus on his personal goals.

Back Off 

When someone needs space or you want to postpone an action, you “back off.” “I had to back off and give my friend some space.”

Back Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• When you feel someone invading your personal space, it’s okay to politely ask them to back off a little.
• Helicopter parents tend to hover over their children; it’s essential for them to back off a bit and let their kids make some decisions.
• Sometimes colleagues can become too intrusive; it’s important to know when to back off and respect each other’s boundaries.
• If someone seems uncomfortable or uninterested in a conversation at a social event, it’s a good idea to back off and give them space.
• Online discussions can get heated, but it’s wise to back off from an argument if it’s becoming unproductive and hurtful.

Stand Down 

Temporarily stepping back from a responsibility or position is “standing down.” “The manager decided to stand down from his role for personal reasons.”

Stand Down Phrasal Verb Examples:

• After the ceasefire agreement was reached, the troops were instructed to stand down from their combat positions.
• The mayor announced his intention to stand down as the city’s leader at the end of his term.
• The protesters agreed to stand down peacefully after their demands were heard and addressed by the authorities.
• The firefighters were asked to stand down once the wildfire was under control.
• The captain decided to stand down temporarily due to an injury, allowing another player to lead the team in the upcoming matches.

Pass Over 

If you decide to choose one option over another, you “pass over” the other option. “The committee decided to pass over the old proposal in favor of the new one.”

Pass Over Phrasal Verb Examples:

• Despite his years of hard work, they decided to pass him over for the promotion, choosing someone with more experience.
• She was disappointed when the company passed her over for the job she had applied for, despite her qualifications.
• The talented actor was surprised when they passed him over for an Academy Award nomination, even though his performance was critically acclaimed.
• After carefully examining the menu, they decided to pass over the exotic dishes and chose something more familiar.
• During the schoolyard game, they had to pass over one of their friends because the teams were uneven.

Play Down 

To make something seem less important than it is, you “play it down.” “She tried to play down her achievements, but they were truly remarkable.”

Play Down Phrasal Verb Examples:

• Instead of admitting to the error, he tried to play it down and avoid taking responsibility for the problem.
• She tended to play down her health issues, not wanting to worry her family.
• He played down the significance of the party, but everyone could tell he was excited about it.
• The coach didn’t want to put too much pressure on the team, so he played down their chances of winning the championship.
• When asked about the rumors, he tried to play them down, saying they were just baseless gossip.

Push Aside

When you decide to delay or ignore something, you “push it aside.” “I had to push aside my personal projects to focus on work.”

Push Aside Phrasal Verb Examples:

• She had to push aside her hobbies to concentrate on her studies.
• The manager pushed aside all distractions to complete the report on time.
• He couldn’t push aside his worries about the future.
• They decided to push aside their differences for the sake of the project.
• She pushed aside her fears and took the plunge.

Lay Off

When someone is temporarily or permanently dismissed from their job, they are “laid off.” “The company had to lay off several employees due to budget cuts.”

Lay Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The factory laid off 100 workers due to decreased demand.
• She was laid off because of the company’s restructuring.
• Many businesses had to lay off staff during the economic downturn.
• He was worried about being laid off in the next round of cuts.
• They decided to lay off non-essential employees during the slow season.

Defer To

When you delay to someone else’s decision or judgment, you “defer to” them. “I will defer to the expert’s opinion on this matter.”

Defer To Phrasal Verb Examples:

• In difficult situations, it’s wise to defer to those with more experience.
• The committee decided to defer to the chairman’s judgment.
• He always defers to his mentor’s advice.
• The team deferred to the project manager’s decision.
• It’s important to defer to the wishes of the community.

Back Down

When you retreat from a position or decision, you “back down.” “He refused to back down from his stance on the issue.”

Back Down Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The politician had to back down after public outcry.
• She never backs down from a challenge.
• He was pressured to back down on his proposal.
• They finally backed down and agreed to the terms.
• The company refused to back down in the face of protests.

Put Back

When you delay something to a later time, you “put it back.” “We had to put back the meeting due to scheduling conflicts.”

Put Back Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The launch date was put back to next month.
• They put back the project start date to accommodate new requirements.
• The concert was put back due to technical issues.
• We decided to put back our vacation plans until next year.
• The deadline was put back by a week to give the team more time.

Put On Hold

When you temporarily stop something or delay it, you “put it on hold.” “We’ll have to put on hold our vacation plans until next year.”

Put On Hold Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The company put on hold its expansion plans due to economic uncertainty.
• We had to put on hold our home renovation because of budget issues.
• Her career was put on hold while she took care of her family.
• The project was put on hold until we receive further instructions.
• He decided to put on hold his studies to focus on work.

Push Aside

If you disregard something or delay it in favor of something else, you “push it aside.” “Don’t push aside your dreams for others.”

Push Aside Phrasal Verb Examples:

• She pushed aside her fears and went for the job interview.
• They had to push aside their differences to work together.
• He pushed aside the negative feedback and kept going.
• The urgent tasks were pushed aside to address the emergency.
• The CEO pushed aside concerns to focus on growth.

Put Off

To deter or delay someone from doing something, you “put them off.” “The long wait put me off from visiting the restaurant again.”

Put Off Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The rude staff put off many customers.
• His negative attitude puts off potential friends.
• The high prices put off many buyers.
• She was put off by the complexity of the task.
• The delay in service put off the clients.

Hold Back

To prevent or delay something from progressing, you “hold it back.” “Don’t let fear hold you back from achieving your goals.”

Hold Back Phrasal Verb Examples:

• The rain held back the start of the match.
• She held back her tears during the speech.
• Financial issues held back the project’s completion.
• His lack of confidence holds him back in his career.
• The team was held back by technical difficulties.

Incorporate these postponed phrasal verbs into your English conversations and writing, and you’ll find yourself expressing ideas with greater precision and fluency. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t put off using these phrasal verbs in your everyday life!

FAQs

Describe a Phrasal verb for postpone a meeting?

The phrasal verb commonly used to indicate postponing a meeting is “put off“. For example, “We need to put off the meeting until next week due to scheduling conflicts.”

Phrasal verb with “put” that means postpone?

Apart from “put off”, another phrasal verb with “put” that can mean to postpone is “put back“. For instance, “They decided to put back the event to accommodate more attendees.”

Give some Phrasal verbs with examples?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs with particles (prepositions or adverbs) that change the original meaning of the verb. Here are a few more examples:

• Call off: To cancel something planned. Example: “They had to call off the picnic because of the rain.”
• Hold off: To delay taking action. Example: “Let’s hold off on making a decision until we have more information.”
• Brush off: To ignore or dismiss someone or something. Example: “He tried to brush off his mistakes, but they were significant.”
• Set aside: To reserve something for a specific purpose. Example: “She set aside time every morning for exercise.”

How many phrasal verbs are in English?

There are thousands of phrasal verbs in English. They are an essential part of everyday language and cover a wide range of meanings and contexts.

Phrasal verbs for kids?

Phrasal verbs for kids often focus on common activities and actions in simpler language. Examples include:

• Pick up: To lift something. Example: “Please pick up your toys.”
• Turn off: To stop the operation of something. Example: “Can you turn off the TV?”
• Look after: To take care of someone or something. Example: “She looks after her little brother after school.”

Final words

In conclusion, phrasal verbs are versatile linguistic tools that enrich the English language by altering the meanings of verbs through the addition of particles. From everyday actions like pick up and turn off to more complex concepts such as put off and call off, these expressions provide nuance and efficiency in communication. By incorporating phrasal verbs into daily conversations and writing, one can enhance both clarity and expression. Understanding and mastering these phrases not only improves language fluency but also enriches our ability to convey ideas effectively in various contexts. So, whether for educational purposes or professional communication, embracing phrasal verbs is a valuable step toward achieving linguistic proficiency and precision in English.