postpone

verb

post·pone | \ (ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn

postponed; postponing

Definition of postpone

transitive verb

1 : to put off to a later time : defer

2a : to place later (as in a sentence) than the normal position in English postpone an adjective

b : to place later in order of precedence, preference, or importance

Other Words from postpone Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about postpone

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for postpone

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding. defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time. deferred buying a car until spring postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time. the game is postponed until Saturday suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied. business will be suspended while repairs are underway stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority. the governor stayed the execution

Examples of postpone in a Sentence

The baseball game was postponed until tomorrow because of rain. we'll have to postpone a decision until we have all the information

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump’s decision to postpone the picnic disappointed lawmakers. — Chad Pergram, Fox News, "Immigration fight is no picnic: Reps brawl, Dems jeer and cops search for Trump-accosting intern," 21 June 2018 Swedish officials welcomed the decision to postpone the announcement of the prize. — Rick Noack, Washington Post, "Nobel literature prize canceled this year, following academy’s own #MeToo scandal," 4 May 2018 One maid of honor was forced to consider just that after being asked by the bride to postpone a scheduled breast enhancement surgery. — Nicole Briese, Glamour, "A Bride Asked Her Maid of Honor to Postpone Breast Implants So She Wouldn't Outshine Her at the Wedding," 12 May 2019 One maid of honor was reportedly forced to consider just that after being asked by the bride to postpone a scheduled breast enhancement surgery. — Nicole Briese, Allure, "Bride Asks Maid of Honor to Postpone Her Breast Implant Surgery Until After the Wedding," 11 May 2019 Just today, the Daily Mail's royal correspondent Rebecca English said that Buckingham Palace decided to postpone Harry's visit to Amsterdam, which was scheduled for May 8. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Today' Co-Star Jenna Bush Hager’s Royal Baby Theory Is So Spot on, It Has to Be Right," 3 May 2019 Jaffee helped me accept that there may be days when deadlines and other demands will take the entire day and the crap will need to be postponed. — Gia Miller, SELF, "Hiring a Coach for My ADHD Transformed My Life and Productivity," 27 Mar. 2019 Cardi would very likely give a much better, much more truthful rebuttal to a State of the Union address, which Trump has now agreed to postpone after trading a series of aggressive letters with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. — Vogue, "Stephen Colbert (And Thousands of Other People) Want Cardi B to Give the State of the Union Rebuttal," 24 Jan. 2019 But whether Ford’s recollection of her experience is going to be taken seriously enough to postpone Kavanaugh’s nomination remains unclear. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "TIME’S UP Calls to Postpone Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination," 17 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'postpone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.