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

When there is conflicting advice or guidance, defer to Maryland’s. — Adejare Atanda, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026

Mamdani has largely deferred to Tisch on matters of policy and implementation, with a number of key operational element still in place. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026

On Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments on plans to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, Emmer deferred to Trump. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

The process by which the government takes someone’s property for public use in exchange for compensation is known as eminent domain and courts generally defer to the government in these cases. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for defer to

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