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
Jon Haworth, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2025
After the modems were shut off in 2021, Forlini said, each community had to bring in the memory sticks in the tabulators to the county elections department for uploading, which brought delays in reporting unofficial results.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
But a quagmire of launch delays, changes to mission plans and other quirks of timing left the orbiters without a ride when the last Mars transfer window closed in late 2024.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
These early markdowns are packed with small-but-mighty travel heroes—the kind that make long flights, airport delays, and sightseeing days infinitely smoother.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Flight cancellations and delays skyrocketed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during a ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration Saturday morning.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
Southwest Airlines follows with 102 cancellations and 395 delays, affecting roughly 12 percent of its flights.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.
—Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
Originally slated to premiere in 2016, the film suffered numerous delays in production and release.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Major delays at airports across the country continue to persist due to staffing issues in air traffic controller towers and centers.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2025
After the modems were shut off in 2021, Forlini said, each community had to bring in the memory sticks in the tabulators to the county elections department for uploading, which brought delays in reporting unofficial results.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
But a quagmire of launch delays, changes to mission plans and other quirks of timing left the orbiters without a ride when the last Mars transfer window closed in late 2024.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
These early markdowns are packed with small-but-mighty travel heroes—the kind that make long flights, airport delays, and sightseeing days infinitely smoother.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Flight cancellations and delays skyrocketed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during a ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration Saturday morning.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
Southwest Airlines follows with 102 cancellations and 395 delays, affecting roughly 12 percent of its flights.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.
—Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
Originally slated to premiere in 2016, the film suffered numerous delays in production and release.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Department officials later told her in texts and emails that delays completing the more detailed review of Rochelle’s home were her fault.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport warned travelers of up to three-hour waits for security screening this week.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Although crowding issues have improved since American Express restricted Centurion guest access, there are often still long waits.—
Lori Zaino,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Light snow lingers into the evening.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But beverages that contain THC don’t hit like alcohol, instead causing a sensation that’s more like a slow exhale that lingers just long enough to make the room feel softer, the music warmer and your friends a little funnier.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 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
-
Iwobi’s movement drags Ladislav Krejci wider, increasing the space between the lines and creating a clear passing angle for Calvin Bassey.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One amendment to the bill adding new zoning categories defers its effective date to April 5, which Johnston said was meant to give the Planning Department enough time to put together and disseminate the map.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Dec. 2025
-
After winning the coin toss, FIU opted to receive the kickoff — a rare move by Simmons, who usually defers and takes the ball to start the second half.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since the holidays, many of us have spent winter days cooped up inside, shuttling between work, school and home while the calendar crawls toward spring.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In Elf, while Santa (the late Ed Asner) is setting out toys at an orphanage on Christmas Eve, Buddy (Will Ferrell) crawls into his sack.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
Shane Kowalski,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
The Aries moon pokes holes in old insecurities about competence and productivity.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Hysteresis occurs when motion lags slightly behind the forces driving it, such as when gears hesitate while reversing direction.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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But as many speakers in Sonoma noted, the reality of proving what works in AI often lags behind the pace of innovation.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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