as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the sycophantic deference with which the hotel treats celebrity guests
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deference
In this age of tumultuous politics, and getting further and further away from the days of deference, and the queen no longer being there, people are rapidly losing interest.
—
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Not to mention the emphasis on respect and deference to one's elders.
—Katherine Singh, Refinery29, 11 Sep. 2025
The central factor is the growing power asymmetry between China and India, and Beijing demanding deference within Asia—a hierarchy India resists.
—Shyam Saran, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
This is a choice that New Delhi can and should make for its own reasons, not out of deference to Washington.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Not to mention the emphasis on respect and deference to one's elders.
—Katherine Singh, Refinery29, 11 Sep. 2025
The central factor is the growing power asymmetry between China and India, and Beijing demanding deference within Asia—a hierarchy India resists.
—Shyam Saran, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
This is a choice that New Delhi can and should make for its own reasons, not out of deference to Washington.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deference
Noun
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The dogs' puppy raisers are volunteers who will spend the next 16 or so months socializing the puppies, teaching the dogs basic obedience, and providing them with a healthy diet, so the canines are prepared for more specialized service dog training in the future.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
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While barking and wagging her tail can signal excitement or protective instincts, the UKC also notes that the breed may display some level of dog aggression and, given its powerful physique, requires careful socialization and consistent obedience training.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yet, the lesson of the Voting Rights Act is that the response to these setbacks isn’t despair or acquiescence.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this revenge is the acquiescence of his support base and the GOP representatives to the raw hatred unleashed by our Emir of Evil.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deference. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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