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

Traditional atomic projects often face extensive delays because safety reviews generally encompass both the reactor and its major steam-generating systems. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

The delays are not exactly surprising, nor does the blame for them lie with the city — a number of state and federal agencies are in charge here, each navigating their own bureaucratic mazes. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026

Additional concerns include technological obsolescence, refinancing risk, construction delays, and the need for continuing capital expenditure. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

The family helplessly searched for the 20-year-old, who struggled with developmental delays and whose speech was at times difficult to understand. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Mayor Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin on Thursday announced a new effort to chip away at the chronic delays in city payments to nonprofit organizations. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

After years of delays, the commission terminated the lease agreement last year. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

The speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph in the work zone, and motorists should expect delays, Caltrans said. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Others can include delays in reporting and a lack of independent witnesses. — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026

Verb

Fat actually delays gastric emptying and digestion even more, keeping blood sugar much steadier. — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

Tennis has always been highly dependent on the weather; unlike in soccer or football, rain cancels or delays a match until the court is dry enough to be playable. — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

But a provision that delays for one month a federal ban on intoxicating hemp THC products has prompted criticism from many GOP lawmakers. — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships. — Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

That is not only a problem for expanding power grid infrastructure to support growing electricity demand, but also delays the process of replacing aging power transformers. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Nearly all report that the process contributes to burnout and delays care. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Cellphone use before bed delays the natural drop in cortisol that teenagers need to fall asleep, according to Alice Hoagland, PhD, director of the Insomnia Clinic at the Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026

Brooklyn Village delays There’s been two major delays in the past 10 years. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026