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
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor’s bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 2 May 2026
After numerous flight delays and cancellations caused by a pre-Christmas winter storm and below zero temperatures in Romulus, Michigan, United States on December 29, 2022.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Excessive regulation and permitting delays make rebuilding far more expensive, which pushes premiums even higher.
—Steve Hilton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Passengers using public transport in Buenos Aires have dealt with delays since the beginning of April as transport authorities cut bus services due to an increase in the cost of diesel fuel.
—Anabella González, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Federal officials blamed the persistent issues on the housing authority’s recurring pattern of delays in completing an annual audit meant to identify problems.
—R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2026
One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The delays and reshoots also led to financial repercussions.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Maxwell Harden, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Avoiding the conversation only delays the inevitable.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Frey vetoed the ordinance, arguing that an eviction pause does not actually provide relief and only delays an inevitable problem.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The plan also maintains full scope Medi-Cal for asylees and other immigrant groups who were cut out of Medicaid by the federal government and delays Medi-Cal premiums for undocumented immigrants that would otherwise begin on July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2028.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
According to the Terner Center at UC Berkeley, each additional public funding source an affordable developer uses, on average, delays a project four months and increases total cost by $20,460 per unit — more than $2 million for a 100-unit community.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Refrigeration delays the decay of strawberries.
—Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
That delays emptying of the stomach.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
But having firefighters wait before starting preparations also delays when they can be dispatched to emergencies, which has lengthened response times — and has likely cost many lives across the city, the 60-page audit says.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
Even as the county fights to preserve services amid ongoing fiscal struggles, the budget cuts could lead to closures in behavioral health clinics and potential delays to some healthcare.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor’s bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 2 May 2026
After numerous flight delays and cancellations caused by a pre-Christmas winter storm and below zero temperatures in Romulus, Michigan, United States on December 29, 2022.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Excessive regulation and permitting delays make rebuilding far more expensive, which pushes premiums even higher.
—Steve Hilton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Passengers using public transport in Buenos Aires have dealt with delays since the beginning of April as transport authorities cut bus services due to an increase in the cost of diesel fuel.
—Anabella González, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Federal officials blamed the persistent issues on the housing authority’s recurring pattern of delays in completing an annual audit meant to identify problems.
—R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2026
One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The delays and reshoots also led to financial repercussions.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Developers often struggle to hire workers, which delays home construction and further increases prices.
—Maxwell Harden, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Avoiding the conversation only delays the inevitable.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Frey vetoed the ordinance, arguing that an eviction pause does not actually provide relief and only delays an inevitable problem.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The plan also maintains full scope Medi-Cal for asylees and other immigrant groups who were cut out of Medicaid by the federal government and delays Medi-Cal premiums for undocumented immigrants that would otherwise begin on July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2028.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
According to the Terner Center at UC Berkeley, each additional public funding source an affordable developer uses, on average, delays a project four months and increases total cost by $20,460 per unit — more than $2 million for a 100-unit community.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Refrigeration delays the decay of strawberries.
—Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
That delays emptying of the stomach.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
But having firefighters wait before starting preparations also delays when they can be dispatched to emergencies, which has lengthened response times — and has likely cost many lives across the city, the 60-page audit says.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Bisignano promised to bring waits down to under ten minutes.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Under Noem, lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration with long waits for assistance for disaster survivors, and for federal grant money to protect people across the country from floods, fires and storms.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The night footage is especially beautiful and memorable, and the careful handling of light shapes an aesthetic that lingers well beyond the final frame.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
Spiking energy costs as the war in the Middle East lingers.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The Defense secretary said the ceasefire postpones the deadline for securing such approval.—
Ben Finley,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This is equally true of society, and disregarding this truth only postpones the moment of reckoning.—
Alec Nevala-Lee,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The performance itself grows increasingly grating as the runtime drags on, particularly when Johnny’s scene partners overpower him by connecting deeper and doing less.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
-
The same logic should apply to the papering process itself, the document drafting and redlining that drags on long after the business points are ostensibly settled.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Postponing elections thus also defers possibilities for political transformation.—
Jasmin Lilian Diab,
The Conversation,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Depending on how long the renter defers part of the payment, Livble’s fees can translate into effective annual percentage rates of roughly 104% to 139%.—
Ken Sweet,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Google lags behind Apple, Samsung, and Chinese tech giants Xiaomi and Huawei in the global wearable tech market, according to market research firm International Data Corporation.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
The transformation underway is consequential in both directions—outsized returns for early movers, and outsized exposure if governance lags.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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