as in postponing
to assign to a later time
we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
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Recent Examples of deferring
History is replete with wars that end in interim agreements, deferring difficult issues to future negotiations, only for the interim arrangement to become permanent.
—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
The county’s cost-saving measures include eliminating vacant positions, cutting programs, deferring maintenance projects, increasing revenue and implementing layoffs.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
United Airlines would not provide comment when NBC News reached out, deferring instead to law enforcement.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
This could include, for instance, decisions slowing down, teams deferring instead of owning and outcomes becoming harder to replicate without leadership's direct involvement.
—
Kevin O'Neill,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
But developing what is in place and deferring the pick to another draft could set up a better future.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
During the operation, doctors said families were canceling appointments and deferring critical healthcare because of the fear of immigration enforcement.
—
Beret Leone,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Domestic sales and government largesse are driving the upturn, but activity is still affected by supply chain disruptions and businesses deferring spending.
—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
The ministers warned that deferring the military purchase could compromise Peru’s security interests, but Balcázar said such a large commitment is not for a temporary leader.
—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
The county’s cost-saving measures include eliminating vacant positions, cutting programs, deferring maintenance projects, increasing revenue and implementing layoffs.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
United Airlines would not provide comment when NBC News reached out, deferring instead to law enforcement.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
This could include, for instance, decisions slowing down, teams deferring instead of owning and outcomes becoming harder to replicate without leadership's direct involvement.
—
Kevin O'Neill,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
But developing what is in place and deferring the pick to another draft could set up a better future.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
During the operation, doctors said families were canceling appointments and deferring critical healthcare because of the fear of immigration enforcement.
—
Beret Leone,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Domestic sales and government largesse are driving the upturn, but activity is still affected by supply chain disruptions and businesses deferring spending.
—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
The ministers warned that deferring the military purchase could compromise Peru’s security interests, but Balcázar said such a large commitment is not for a temporary leader.
—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferring
Verb
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Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.
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Those who keep postponing the conversation risk leaving their heirs not a fortune but a locked archive whose contents can only be guessed at.
Verb
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The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.
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The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.
Cite this Entry
“Deferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferring. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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