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
In America, the facts must defer to the funds.
—
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
Courts, for their part, developed legal doctrines that require them to presume the President’s good faith in deferring to him.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Russell has to defer to LeBron James.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The audit’s release certainly seems like a turning point, with Braun breaking ranks with three previous Republican governors who have all championed an approach to economic development that heavily deferred to the IEDC.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
Courts, for their part, developed legal doctrines that require them to presume the President’s good faith in deferring to him.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Russell has to defer to LeBron James.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The audit’s release certainly seems like a turning point, with Braun breaking ranks with three previous Republican governors who have all championed an approach to economic development that heavily deferred to the IEDC.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
Cite this Entry
“Defer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer%20to. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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