as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defer
Webb deferred questions about how the sheriff's office would use the money to the sheriff's office, but noted that any additional revenue helps to offset expenses.
—
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Oldfather deferred comment to Coleman's office when reached by email Tuesday.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
The highest annual salary in the NFL is Dak Prescott’s $60 million, and the richest MLB contract is Shohei Ohtani’s at $70 million per year, although 97% of that money is deferred, which lowers the present-day value of the deal.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
The Pistons acknowledged there was an investigation ongoing but deferred further comment to the NBA.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Oldfather deferred comment to Coleman's office when reached by email Tuesday.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
The highest annual salary in the NFL is Dak Prescott’s $60 million, and the richest MLB contract is Shohei Ohtani’s at $70 million per year, although 97% of that money is deferred, which lowers the present-day value of the deal.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
The Pistons acknowledged there was an investigation ongoing but deferred further comment to the NBA.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defer
Verb
-
Residents should consider postponing or rescheduling outdoor activities, and follow the same precautionary steps, like, drinking plenty of water and taking breaks indoors or under shade.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
-
That includes Rosado’s tiebreaker vote in favor of postponing the upcoming November election to 2026 — a measure backed by the mayor — as well as Rosado’s vote to shutter the Bayfront Park Management Trust in January of next year.—
Tess Riski
July 21,
Miami Herald,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
To understand why, consider what businesses stand to lose by delaying automation.—
Laurent Charpentier,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
No rain should delay either the sprint race or qualifying, but race day is a different story.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defer. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share