defer to

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 new commission would hear appeals of certain planning decisions and could reconsider those decisions without deferring to earlier rulings. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

People appreciate his official title, defer to his family, and recognize the heft of his social and political connections. — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

Subway did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, while Starbucks essentially deferred to the O’Hare licensee, HMSHost. — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

The mayor appears to have largely deferred to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a holdover from the previous administration, to run the department. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for defer to

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