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
Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
Another project will cause intermittent traffic breaks near Boca during the day Tuesday through Thursday, causing motorists to undergo delays of up to 30 minutes.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2026
Aledo baseball had to wait nearly three hours in multiple lightning delays for an opportunity to seize the first championship repeat in program history.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
Budget pressures, construction delays, political concerns, and logistical hurdles have become common features of modern Olympic planning.
—Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Following numerous delays, hiccups, and strategic reboots, Apple is finally set to unveil a new, more personalized Siri.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 5 June 2026
However, while others like the the Line and Mukaab have seen their ambitions reduced or been cancelled altogether, JEC Tower is now firmly on track after years of delays, and Saudi authorities seem intent on realizing the project's ambitious vision.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2026
The outlet said the delays were caused by heavy demand rather than technical issues.
—ABC News, 4 June 2026
If a fetus becomes infected, toxoplasmosis can lead to a range of health problems, including premature birth, low birth weight, jaundice or other liver problems, abnormal blood counts, rashes, eye disease, developmental delays, seizures, brain calcification, and in extreme cases, stillbirth.
—Dr. Megan Yanny, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Sarah Moreno
june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Doctors say the administrative action routinely delays or denies care.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Nothing says Connecticut meet-cute like bonding over melting ice cream while a boat slowly delays everyone’s plans.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2026
The legislation also delays local impact fees and taxes until construction is complete.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 May 2026
If weather delays the construction, crews will instead go out on Wednesday night.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 25 May 2026
As climate change delays the first winter frosts across much of North America, summer ragweed also keeps flowering longer, extending the latter part of pollen season into the fall, said David Wees, a faculty lecturer in horticulture at McGill University in Montreal.
—Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Copy-on-write is an optimization technique where a system delays making a separate copy of data until it is actually changed.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Roots planted in cold conditions will remain inactive, says Phillips, which delays flowering, while those planted in the heat of summer are more susceptible to transplant shock, leaf scorch, and heat stress.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Noun
Emergency physicians do not control inpatient staffing, discharge bottlenecks, rehabilitation placement delays, or bed availability, yet emergency departments absorb the consequences when hospitals operate beyond capacity.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
Another project will cause intermittent traffic breaks near Boca during the day Tuesday through Thursday, causing motorists to undergo delays of up to 30 minutes.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2026
Aledo baseball had to wait nearly three hours in multiple lightning delays for an opportunity to seize the first championship repeat in program history.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
Budget pressures, construction delays, political concerns, and logistical hurdles have become common features of modern Olympic planning.
—Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Following numerous delays, hiccups, and strategic reboots, Apple is finally set to unveil a new, more personalized Siri.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 5 June 2026
However, while others like the the Line and Mukaab have seen their ambitions reduced or been cancelled altogether, JEC Tower is now firmly on track after years of delays, and Saudi authorities seem intent on realizing the project's ambitious vision.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2026
The outlet said the delays were caused by heavy demand rather than technical issues.
—ABC News, 4 June 2026
If a fetus becomes infected, toxoplasmosis can lead to a range of health problems, including premature birth, low birth weight, jaundice or other liver problems, abnormal blood counts, rashes, eye disease, developmental delays, seizures, brain calcification, and in extreme cases, stillbirth.
—Dr. Megan Yanny, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Verb
Cuba is currently facing a banking crisis that delays pension payments to retirees and limits cash withdrawals for the general population.
—Sarah Moreno
june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Doctors say the administrative action routinely delays or denies care.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Nothing says Connecticut meet-cute like bonding over melting ice cream while a boat slowly delays everyone’s plans.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2026
The legislation also delays local impact fees and taxes until construction is complete.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 May 2026
If weather delays the construction, crews will instead go out on Wednesday night.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 25 May 2026
As climate change delays the first winter frosts across much of North America, summer ragweed also keeps flowering longer, extending the latter part of pollen season into the fall, said David Wees, a faculty lecturer in horticulture at McGill University in Montreal.
—Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Copy-on-write is an optimization technique where a system delays making a separate copy of data until it is actually changed.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Roots planted in cold conditions will remain inactive, says Phillips, which delays flowering, while those planted in the heat of summer are more susceptible to transplant shock, leaf scorch, and heat stress.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Visitors can make a free same-day reservation for shorter entry waits or wait in a typically longer standby line.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi and fantasy titles that require considerable VFX work tend to be the shows that have the longest waits.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Former Mayor Harold Washington appears extensively — including a candid photo of Washington shaking hands with constituents while a young Obama lingers in the background.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
The woman lingers, asking about the food.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 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
-
In a chilling sequence, Dennis ties a garbage bag over Mallory’s head and drags her into the woods.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
The United States’ stockpiles of crude oil, gasoline and diesel are falling fast as the war with Iran drags on.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Blocking protected time for asset building is essential, as busy work often defers this crucial development.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
White often has been tight-lipped regarding her players’ injuries and repeatedly defers questions to the medical staff, which isn’t allowed to speak publicly about players’ health.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
Critics on the Croisette are starting to resemble that classic comic-strip panel in which an explorer crawls desperately across the sand toward an oasis that’s only a mirage.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
In it, Grace can be seen playing a racing game while the Mallrats creator pokes fun at her driving skills.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But the Dodgers’ two-way star lags behind in innings pitched – 61 to Sanchez’s 86⅓ and Misiorowski’s 71.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
In cases where synchronization lags, AI monitoring tools compare record versions across systems and surface discrepancies.—
Ethan Stone
June 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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