DEFER Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'defer' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of defer are postpone , stay , and suspend . While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time. // deferred buying a car until spring

Q: When could 'postpone' be used to replace 'defer'?

While in some cases nearly identical to defer , postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time. // the game is postponed until Saturday

Q: When is it sensible to use 'stay' instead of 'defer'?

While the synonyms stay and defer are close in meaning, stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority. // the governor stayed the execution

Q: Where would 'suspend' be a reasonable alternative to 'defer'?

The words suspend and defer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied. // business will be suspended while repairs are underway

defer

verb

di-ˈfər

Definition of defer next

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word defer distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of defer are postpone, stay, and suspend. While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

When could postpone be used to replace defer?

While in some cases nearly identical to defer, postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

When is it sensible to use stay instead of defer?

While the synonyms stay and defer are close in meaning, stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

Where would suspend be a reasonable alternative to defer?

The words suspend and defer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

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 History is replete with wars that end in interim agreements, deferring difficult issues to future negotiations, only for the interim arrangement to become permanent. —

Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026 Advertisement Yet the initial agreement is also broad to the point of ambiguity, open to rival readings, and engineered so that nearly every decisive question is deferred into the 60-day window. —

Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 19 June 2026 And the council deferred a seemingly innocuous lease amendment for the Bank of America Stadium over concerns the agreement hadn’t considered community benefits. —

Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2026 The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal. —

Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for defer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defer

Verb

After a nearly 12 hour meeting, the board opted to postpone changes to the majority of high school social studies curriculum to a later meeting.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2026
Advertisement Ann Korchak, board president of owner advocacy group Small Property Owners of New York, said in a statement to the media that the RGB should have postponed the vote until Smyth, the landlord representative, was replaced.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 June 2026

Definition of postpone

Verb

Still, some experts say the lack of awareness may delay some eligible adults from taking advantage of the new coverage and getting on the treatments immediately.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 28 June 2026
The last time Colombia played at Miami Stadium, the 2024 Copa América final against Argentina was delayed more than 75 minutes after a security breach involving ticketless fans, with some appearing to enter through air vents.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2026