DELAYING Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

delaying

verb

present participle of delay

as in lingering

to move or act slowly she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of delaying If there are no seats, there’ll be no place to put sick passengers and the train will have to stay in the station, delaying the system. —

Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026 From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc. —

Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026 The Vance family makes things work by delaying future costs, such as buying a larger home. —

Andrea Steffes-Tuttle, Denver Post, 12 June 2026 While delaying care may seem like a practical way to manage vet costs in the short term, putting off treatment can sometimes create larger financial and medical challenges in the future. —

Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 June 2026 According to the letter, Paramasivam was denied permission to leave early and forced to finish her shift, delaying treatment that might have saved her life. —

Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 11 June 2026 Many of them had just come home from the war and were reunited with honeys who had been waiting, hoping, delaying. —

Joe Klein, Washington Post, 11 June 2026 If the game runs longer than usual, the postgame show will be shorter, because WPLG doesn’t want to make a habit of delaying its late newscast. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026 Hilton proposes to reform the California Environmental Quality Act so that only government prosecutors can sue, preventing private individuals and organizations from stopping or delaying new housing projects. —

Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for delaying

Verb

Inventories are unlikely to fully rebuild given the scale of draws in the first half-year and ongoing government stockpiling, the bank said, while lingering geopolitical risk premium would keep a floor under prices.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Southern Living also noted that local tourism officials are encouraging visitors to return to the region, as many businesses remain open and rely on tourism dollars despite lingering perceptions that the area is still closed following Hurricane Helene.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026