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 To save money, among the many reductions, the budget deferred for two years the opening of a new police training center to save $778,000 and eliminated 85 city positions, the majority of which are currently vacant. —

Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 12 June 2026 Questions that were once deferred are now asked immediately. —

Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 This is the story of what happens to a dream deferred in the dusty apartments, drag clubs and secluded rivers of Colombia in the 1990s. —

Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 The county’s cost-saving measures include eliminating vacant positions, cutting programs, deferring maintenance projects, increasing revenue and implementing layoffs. —

Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for defer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defer

Verb

On March 1 of this year, the Qatari soccer federation postponed all matches during the ongoing war between Israel and Iran while other sporting events in the region were also affected.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
He had been forced to postpone his own acting ambitions when he was drafted into the Vietnam War, serving 11 months with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Tây Ninh.

— Carl Kurlander, Deadline, 13 June 2026