as in wait
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
our guests delayed their departure until after dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 delay
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The White House said the delay was due to logistical problems.
—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2026
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
Shortly after that, Iran’s state broadcaster said that the negotiating team was leaving for Switzerland, a trip delayed from Friday.
—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for delay
Noun
Road closures and parking AFRAM attendees are encouraged to use public transit or a rideshare service to Mondawmin and use the free shuttles to get to Druid Hill Park, as road closures and parking restrictions will cause traffic delays.
—
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The White House said the delay was due to logistical problems.
—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2026
Verb
Talks were first scheduled to begin on Friday, but Iran’s delegation delayed their flight amid the outbreak of fighting in Lebanon.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
Shortly after that, Iran’s state broadcaster said that the negotiating team was leaving for Switzerland, a trip delayed from Friday.
—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for delay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delay
Noun
-
Having ended a 28-year wait to make it here, the duo have not suffered from stage fright.
-
Prior authorization saves money for insurers partly by making patients pay a price in wait times and inconvenience, said Miranda Yaver, a University of Pittsburgh health policy researcher studying the technique.
Verb
-
The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.
-
Robertson answered any lingering questions about his game with his franchise-caliber play.
Verb
-
Those talks were set to begin Friday, but were abruptly postponed after a flare up in deadly attacks between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
-
Authorities subsequently postponed the exam and also temporarily banned Telegram in India.
Verb
-
Especially someone that can drag his man around a little bit, take attention away from Anthony (Edwards).
-
Ennis enters as the betting favorite, but Zayas owns size and reach edges and has vowed to drag the fight into the deep, physical championship rounds.
Verb
-
Be aware that many tax strategies merely defer taxes, rather than avoiding them entirely.
-
For consumers and logistics fleets who deferred major purchases out of fear that gas and diesel prices would remain permanently elevated, this stabilization acts as a powerful green light.
Verb
-
Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
-
The animal eventually crawled under a dock.
Verb
-
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
-
The second is a vent which pokes out above your clothes, to move warm air away from you.
Verb
-
The Iniu SnapGo Air slightly outperformed the AM52 in some wireless tests, but lagged behind in others.
-
The decline is a lagging indicator.
Cite this Entry
“Delay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delay. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
