1
as in lingering
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in postponing
to assign to a later time
our guests delayed their departure until after dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of delaying
Republicans hold a narrow lead in those gerrymandering wars, and more GOP-leaning states are now either delaying primaries or mulling calling special sessions to redraw new lines.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Louisiana Republicans are now delaying US House primaries just a day after the high court’s decision.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
But after initially delaying a full committee vote, Bacon and DeGraaf then shifted to making the bill a ballot proposal, putting the question in voters’ hands.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance's survey shows younger patients' symptoms often go ignored, delaying diagnosis and treatment.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
After Thursday’s hearing, Mark Bankston, a lawyer for some of the Sandy Hook victims’ relatives, accused Jones of delaying the liquidation of Infowars numerous times with court filings.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That is setting batteries up for a dual role as an enabler to putting more green energy on the grid and delaying the phase-out of fossil fuels.
—Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was recently defeated in an election, had accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs — an allegation that Zelenskyy denied.
—Karel Janicek, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Boston city councilors and transit advocates hammered the Wu administration for delaying transportation projects, saying that its inaction has cost the city millions in federal grant funding and put cyclists and pedestrians at risk.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Louisiana Republicans are now delaying US House primaries just a day after the high court’s decision.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
But after initially delaying a full committee vote, Bacon and DeGraaf then shifted to making the bill a ballot proposal, putting the question in voters’ hands.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance's survey shows younger patients' symptoms often go ignored, delaying diagnosis and treatment.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
After Thursday’s hearing, Mark Bankston, a lawyer for some of the Sandy Hook victims’ relatives, accused Jones of delaying the liquidation of Infowars numerous times with court filings.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That is setting batteries up for a dual role as an enabler to putting more green energy on the grid and delaying the phase-out of fossil fuels.
—Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was recently defeated in an election, had accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs — an allegation that Zelenskyy denied.
—Karel Janicek, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Boston city councilors and transit advocates hammered the Wu administration for delaying transportation projects, saying that its inaction has cost the city millions in federal grant funding and put cyclists and pedestrians at risk.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delaying
Verb
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While coverage is expected to be more scattered, isolated strong to severe storms could still produce hail and gusty winds, particularly where daytime heating and lingering boundaries overlap.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The two men dined at a table alone, lingering long after all other diners had dispersed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The woman, who invested and lost $141,000 with Goliath and now plans on postponing her retirement, said she was impressed by seeing TV news coverage of Delgado’s philanthropy.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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Iran has given the US a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war that includes postponing nuclear negotiations, Axios reported, citing a US official and two people with knowledge of the matter.—
Jon Herskovitz,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sam instead proposes that the performer dance to it without music, a prompt that is followed by Anne Hathaway flinging herself across the room, dragging her body across the floor in a hypnotic spectacle that seems to convey struggle, possession, and loss of control.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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Even the sleeker Samsonite Proxis feels substantial without dragging you over the limit.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Gill said the group had also proposed deferring all media inquiries to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nice little Rogen dig here that reminds me of This Is the End poking fun at The Green Hornet.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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In response to shouts for everyone to get down, one administration official at a media table crawled under it, with just her high heels poking out.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police said Morgan was seen crawling under a partially open garage door before jumping into a backyard pool.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Footage shared by Sky News showed the animal crawling up onto the eatery's counter.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delaying. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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