postpone

verb

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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

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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 The trial of freelance photographer Jesús Medina has repeatedly been postponed, with the date currently set for January 30. — Wired Staff, Wired, "One Free Press Coalition Spotlights Journalists Under Attack," 6 Jan. 2020 The Southern California racetrack announced the decision to postpone the race last week, marking the first time the event was not held on Dec. 26 since 1973-74. — Editors, USA TODAY, "Football playoffs, winter blast, copter crash investigation: 5 things you need to know this weekend," 28 Dec. 2019 Mike DeWine has postponed the execution date of a Cleveland murderer amid continuing issues with finding lethal-injection drugs. — Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland, "Gov. Mike DeWine pushes back Cleveland killer’s execution date," 20 Dec. 2019 Demonstrations erupted once again across India on Wednesday following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to postpone hearing challenges to a controversial new immigration law that grants citizenship on the basis of religion. — Barnini Chakraborty, Fox News, "Indian protests erupt as high court postpones hearing challenges to new immigration law," 18 Dec. 2019 Martinez's decision to postpone signing until February comes four days after Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was hired as Boston College's head coach. — Chris Thomas, Detroit Free Press, "Muskegon star Cam Martinez postpones signing with Ohio State football," 18 Dec. 2019 But a recent decision by the United States to postpone a joint air drill with South Korea clearly hasn't satisfied Pyongyang. — Author: Simon Denyer, Anchorage Daily News, "North Korea warns U.S. of an unwelcome ‘Christmas gift’," 4 Dec. 2019 Buffett, 72, has postponed three December dates in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, rescheduling them for December 2020. — Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, "Jimmy Buffett postpones 3 Florida shows due to shoulder surgery," 13 Nov. 2019 Many industry analysts, however, were skeptical, given the underperformance of public offerings by Peloton and Uber, as well as WeWork’s decision to postpone its IPO. — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, "Endeavor, owner of WME talent agency, scraps IPO plans," 16 Oct. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

10 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Postpone.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postpone. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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More Definitions for postpone

postpone

verb