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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lingers
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in postpones
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 delays
Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
As a result, service delays are likely, labor unions warn.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Lead ingestion is toxic for young children and may cause a range of serious health effects, including developmental delays and neurological damage, the CPSC said in the recall announcement.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Lawmakers voted to close the prison in 2018 but the plan has been plagued with delays, including Republicans on the Legislature's budget-writing committee initially opting not to fully fund the plan to replace the prison with smaller facilities.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
However, staffing shortages may lead to delays for some services if the shutdown continues, says NPR's Greg Allen.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Activities like benefit verification, application processing and website updates are paused, according to the USDA, and other functions are likely to face delays due to barebones staffing.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
The delays reflect the scale of the challenge.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
Study after study tells us that early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays is critical.
—Dr. Sunny Patel, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.
—Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
Should any of these elements fail— delays in deliveries, certification challenges, cost overruns, or weakening demand—the possible losses could be significant.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The wait can leave workers wondering what’s fair and what’s legal when an employer delays payment.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
John Malkovich shows up for a tangent that is meant to be expositional, but really only needlessly delays what’s coming.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Others say that approach risks keeping critical documents under wraps and delays a fuller accounting.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
To accommodate the high number of calls, Fagan said the district started using ambulances from neighboring districts, which delays response times.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The roughly 8,000 residents in this rural area, known for poor cell coverage, are forced to dial a 10-digit backup number, which further delays response times.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
However, with the Internal Revenue Service impacted, some mortgage approvals could face major delays, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
As a result, service delays are likely, labor unions warn.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Lead ingestion is toxic for young children and may cause a range of serious health effects, including developmental delays and neurological damage, the CPSC said in the recall announcement.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Lawmakers voted to close the prison in 2018 but the plan has been plagued with delays, including Republicans on the Legislature's budget-writing committee initially opting not to fully fund the plan to replace the prison with smaller facilities.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
However, staffing shortages may lead to delays for some services if the shutdown continues, says NPR's Greg Allen.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Activities like benefit verification, application processing and website updates are paused, according to the USDA, and other functions are likely to face delays due to barebones staffing.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
The delays reflect the scale of the challenge.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
Study after study tells us that early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays is critical.
—Dr. Sunny Patel, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
These early shifts—less COVID vaccination; fewer options for flu, MMR, and chickenpox vaccines; and, perhaps soon, delays to the hepatitis-B schedule—may seem benign enough.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.
—Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
Should any of these elements fail— delays in deliveries, certification challenges, cost overruns, or weakening demand—the possible losses could be significant.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The wait can leave workers wondering what’s fair and what’s legal when an employer delays payment.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
John Malkovich shows up for a tangent that is meant to be expositional, but really only needlessly delays what’s coming.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Others say that approach risks keeping critical documents under wraps and delays a fuller accounting.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
To accommodate the high number of calls, Fagan said the district started using ambulances from neighboring districts, which delays response times.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The roughly 8,000 residents in this rural area, known for poor cell coverage, are forced to dial a 10-digit backup number, which further delays response times.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport hasn't experienced significant issues with long security waits since the shutdown began.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Perfect for car rides, restaurant waits, and doctor’s office downtime.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But above all, Fernández and El Mimoso’s voices shine extraordinarily beautifully, delivering a performance that lingers even after its final note.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The pick-off still lingers in Guerrero’s mind because of his teammate at the plate — the guy who’s been alongside him the whole time.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Scripps continues to pursue a strategy that focuses on the northern parts of San Diego County and postpones reconstruction plans for Scripps Mercy Hospital, which operates sister campuses in Hillcrest and Chula Vista.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The panel’s decision postpones the effective dates of TPS terminations directed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Arisu crawls onto a mound of rubble for momentary relief, and is met with an angry Banda.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Gameplay begins as the player crawls from the wreckage.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Buffett’s buy-and-hold approach not only compounds wealth but also defers taxes, allowing more capital to keep working year after year.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The strategy seeds ETFs before launch, and the original investor defers capital gains until selling their shares.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If the shutdown drags on for more than a few days, a report on inflation scheduled for mid-October could also be delayed.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In a letter to agencies last week, the budget office instructed them to prepare for possible layoffs if the impasse drags on.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a pair of promos shared to social media on Monday in support of her upcoming 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (out Friday), the singer pokes some major fun at herself.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The trailer for Season 6 of Solar Opposites, released today, pokes fun of the show’s imminent end.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Electric vehicles promise lower costs and fewer emissions, but for city dwellers, charging access often lags behind the promise.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Even before the threat of a shutdown, lags in data collection have left the country unprepared for a major disaster.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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