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

Because the Redhawks deferred to open the game, they were given possession as play resumed for the third quarter. —Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025

Avondale Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital the incident was deferred to the FBI. —Emma Bussey , Olivia Palombo, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Purdy played through that toe injury in the season opener, then after deferring to Jones the next two starts, Purdy aggravated that toe amid a three-turnover outing against the Jaguars. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

When asked for comment, a DHS spokesperson deferred to the White House. —Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for defer to

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