put on hold

Meaning

This expression means to delay, postpone, or temporarily stop progress on a project, plan, or decision. It is also used literally in telecommunications when you temporarily pause a phone call. In business, it usually implies that a project is not cancelled, but paused until a later date when resources or decisions are ready.

Examples

• We had to put the marketing campaign on hold until the new budget gets approved.

  We had to put the marketing campaign on hold until the new budget gets approved.

• The manager put the hiring process on hold while we restructure the department.

  The manager put the hiring process on hold while we restructure the department.

• Could you please put me on hold for a second while I look up your file?

  Could you please put me on hold for a second while I look up your file?

• Due to supply chain issues, the construction project has been put on hold.

  Due to supply chain issues, the construction project has been put on hold.

• Let's put this discussion on hold and revisit it during next week's meeting.

  Let's put this discussion on hold and revisit it during next week's meeting.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We put the project in hold.

  ✓ We put the project on hold.

  The correct preposition to use with this idiom is always 'on', not 'in'.

• ✗ The meeting was put to hold.

  ✓ The meeting was put on hold.

  Using 'to hold' is grammatically incorrect; the full idiomatic phrase is 'to put something on hold'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The client decided to ___ the expansion plans until next quarter.

  💡 pause or delay

  Show answer

  put on hold

• I need to ___ you ___ for a moment while I transfer you to IT.

  💡 split the phrase with 'you'

  Show answer

  put on hold