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
Since the announcement of the statue this past spring, the Buffs have deferred to the McCartney family and to the donors who paid for it.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Today’s connection between the moon and the sun recommends deferring to someone else’s expertise.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
The Kansas City Police Department deferred to a city spokesperson for comment.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Especially in his earlier films, Burns deferred to the storytelling of popular historians, with mixed results.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Today’s connection between the moon and the sun recommends deferring to someone else’s expertise.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
The Kansas City Police Department deferred to a city spokesperson for comment.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Especially in his earlier films, Burns deferred to the storytelling of popular historians, with mixed results.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 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 7 Dec. 2025.
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