defer to

phrasal verb

deferred to; deferring to; defers to

1

: to allow (someone else) to decide or choose something

You have more experience with this, so I'm going to defer to you.

deferring to the experts

2

defer to (something) : to agree to follow (someone else's decision, a tradition, etc.)

The court defers to precedent in cases like these.

He deferred to his parents' wishes.

Examples of defer to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Republican lawmakers open to a solution are still deferring to the executive branch to broker a deal. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025

The agency then deferred to the Chicago Police Department, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025

Always deferring to others is as bad a choice as never doing so. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025

Always defer to the label on your garments, but generally warm or hot water is ideal for whites to give them a deeper clean and help lift stains and odors. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for defer to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue