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

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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 Tariffs could also limit technology choices for Americans by delaying new product launches, including devices featuring the latest AI technologies. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 In other words, retirees stand to benefit more from annual COLAs by delaying. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The statute required judges to record whether the wife was pregnant, leading some to interpret the requirement as a factor in granting or delaying divorce proceedings. — Jack Harvel august 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 Plan commission member Randy Niemeyer worried that delaying approval could hinder development in the area, including a John Deere distribution center. — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 The cost-cutting measures ended up delaying production, raising costs regardless. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 The City of Indianapolis urged residents to not contact FEMA until official guidance is issued to avoid delaying assistance. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2026 Lasting solutions have been trapped in politics, thereby delaying and undercutting an adequate response. — Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 That means delaying, syncing, buffering, and filtering signals – something electronics handles easily but photonics struggles with. — New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for delaying

Verb

Rain has already begun to move across the Big Island and is expected to continue through at least Monday, with lingering rain still impacting some of the islands possibly on Tuesday.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
If any lingering question of home-court advantage persisted, it was made crystal clear in the final 30 seconds who had the biggest backing, as Barclays erupted in celebration of the Liberty’s game-winning plays down the stretch.

— Annie Costabile, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

Fallout has rippled across the sport, with the Golf Channel postponing a Good Good reality series and major retailers pulling the brand’s merchandise.

— Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Parton had openly discussed health struggles in the months leading up to her death, including postponing and missing appearances while receiving treatment.

— Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of postponing

Verb

As mentioned previously, Babcock obstinately played a late-career Marleau in significant minutes during his time in Toronto with dragging results.

— Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The officer ordered him to stop, but the man continued driving, dragging the officer a short distance.

— Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

For players in high tax states like California or New York, deferring that money to after their playing days are over can save them millions in taxes.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has not publicly commented on their investigation for weeks, deferring questions to the district attorney — who acknowledged the public’s frustration.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of deferring

Verb

Most of what’s actionable comes from the signal that might be poking through.

— Ben Gretch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
In the shade of a dense forest canopy, Odette Kouakou paces through her grove of cocoa trees, snapping off dead leaves and poking the ripe yellow pods hanging down from the branches with a stick.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of poking

Verb

One of the groups was seen leaving about three hours afterward, according to the NYPD, while the second odd circumstance ended after individuals were seen crawling out and leaving in a vehicle more than two and a half hours after.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Nidhi imagined the baby crawling around in her mother’s body, desperately seeking the uterus, and, failing to find it in its proper place, quietly shrivelling up and dying.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawling

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delaying

delays

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“Delaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delaying. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of delaying

verb

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