as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
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Recent Examples of defer
Commissioners deferred the vote on the plan to June 9 over landscaping concerns.
—
Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
The Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped or deferred more than a dozen enforcement cases against Ripple, Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken and other crypto promoters.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Ellis, 79, walked across the graduation stage at Clayton State University in Morrow, Ga., on Saturday, May 10, 60 years after deferring college to prioritize her family, per 11Alive.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 May 2025
Eventually, bills come due from such decisions (including deferring the 2025 first-rounder due to the Thunder this June).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
The Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped or deferred more than a dozen enforcement cases against Ripple, Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken and other crypto promoters.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Ellis, 79, walked across the graduation stage at Clayton State University in Morrow, Ga., on Saturday, May 10, 60 years after deferring college to prioritize her family, per 11Alive.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 May 2025
Eventually, bills come due from such decisions (including deferring the 2025 first-rounder due to the Thunder this June).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defer
Verb
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After a short discussion between the clubs and Major League Baseball, the game was postponed.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
-
The Division 1 softball game between Poway and Ayala was postponed because of rain.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Since his sentencing 37 years ago, Menzies' attorneys have filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was postponed.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
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Last year, the NFL reported a 20,000% increase in unauthorized drone activity over games between 2017 and 2023, some of which delayed games.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defer. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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