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

The agency can make administrative decisions, including about visitation, when a patient is in the hospital, but should defer to hospital policies on contacting next of kin when a patient is seriously ill, the guidelines state. —Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

The bulletin advises that California law enforcement agencies have primary authority to investigate potential violations of state criminal law and are not required to defer to federal authorities. —Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026

The National Parks Service deferred to FWP when contacted by ABC News, since the poaching occurred just north of Yellowstone National Park boundaries. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026

Kering’s call option to acquire Mayhoola’s stake in 2028 was also deferred to 2029. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for defer to

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