Synonyms of delays

delays 1 of 2

noun

plural of delay

as in waits

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business

there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• waits
• holdups
• postponements
• pauses
• setbacks
• detentions
• deferrals
• hesitations
• lags
• holding patterns
• holdbacks
• deferments
• slowdowns
• respites
• detainments
• reprieves
• foot-draggings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushes
• dispatches
• hastes
• promptitudes

delays

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of delay

1

as in lingers

to move or act slowly

she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lingers
• drags
• crawls
• pokes
• lags
• dawdles
• strolls
• marks time
• creeps
• falls behind
• hangs fire
• drops behind
• plays
• shuffles
• loiters
• stalls
• tarries
• lollygags
• mopes
• diddles
• dillydallies
• dallies
• takes one's time
• lounges
• staggers
• shilly-shallies
• drags one's feet
• fools around
• idles
• fiddles (around)
• messes around
• hangs (around or out)
• inches
• potters (around)
• slows (down or up)
• trifles
• putters (around)
• eases
• loafs
• monkeys (around)
• decelerates
• procrastinates
• ambles
• saunters
• temporizes
• plods
• lolls
• lumbers
• filibusters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tears
• speeds
• courses
• races
• barrels
• hastens
• careers
• hurries
• rushes
• runs
• flies
• rips
• whizzes
• dashes
• whirls
• zips
• hurtles
• rockets
• scurries
• bolts
• whisks
• scrambles
• scoots
• humps
• stampedes
• hustles
• breezes
• darts
• scuds
• bowls
• runs
• accelerates
• sprints
• jogs
• speeds (up)
• hotfoots (it)
• gallops
• trots
• quickens
• overtakes
• outstrips
• outpaces
• outruns
• catches up
• fast-forwards

2

as in postpones

to assign to a later time

our guests delayed their departure until after dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• postpones
• defers
• waits
• shelves
• holds over
• remits
• pauses
• lays over
• slows
• holds off (on)
• suspends
• hesitates
• puts over
• retards
• puts off
• holds up
• prolongs
• lengthens
• stays
• stretches (out)
• detains
• protracts
• extends

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• does
• acts
• works (on)
• deals (with)
• decides (upon)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of delays

Noun

Despite existing plans to acquire South Korean Cheongung-II systems and French Rafale jets, these efforts face significant delays due to unpaid installments and financial constraints. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Folsom’s order keeping the grace period in effect concluded that plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their constitutional challenge of the law because arbitrarily disenfranchise voters due to mail delays beyond their control. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Other researchers had reported similar delays from the agency, which was still reeling from the effects of mass layoffs in 2025. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 31 July 2026

Rachel Villalobos’ 9-year-old son Noah was born with schizencephaly, which causes motor skill delays. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

The program has been plagued by maintenance issues, delays and high costs. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Removal is usually requested when heirs claim there have been long delays, poor communication, bad record-keeping, conflicts of interest, failure to follow court orders, or other actions that could harm the estate. — Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 29 July 2026

Such seamless information flow is expected to reduce production delays, improve quality control and optimize resource allocation across complex shipbuilding projects. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Drivers are asked to avoid the area, expect delays and follow directions from law enforcement. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026

Verb

His isolation is not that of a man locked up in a room but a man who delays going into that room for as long as possible. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026

The person who delays repayment may create tension, even if unintentionally. — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Chief Estella Patterson told committee members officers have a hard time determining the exact age of juveniles without an ID, which delays the investigation and prolongs police interactions. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026

Along with the tax hike, the agreement settled upon by Newsom and lawmakers last week delays the governor’s plans to cut or freeze Medi-Cal coverage for immigrants without legal status until next summer. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Teplizumab – a form of immunotherapy – binds to immune cells to slow their attack and so delays the need to take insulin by two to three years. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 July 2026

As such, Propco must reapply for permits before resuming construction, which delays the project’s completion until the middle of 2027, according to the documents. — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026

The deal also delays the elimination of dental help for undocumented adults a year later than Newsom proposed. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026

The deal delays highly technical discussions over the mechanics of unwinding Iran’s nuclear program. — Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026