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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delays
Osmary Hernández,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Be punctual for shore excursions and activities to avoid delays or missing out without a refund.
—
Jill Schildhouse,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
More generally, the tight supply chain can cause delays to server and data center builds and be a limiting factor on growth.
—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
27 June 2026
After having seen clients with months of delays, recently Akimoto has some clients who filed to renew their DACA protection in April and May and got their approvals within six weeks.
—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Instead of saying a platform improves productivity, a customer story might explain how a 40-person construction company reduced scheduling delays by 25% by allowing workers to manage time-off requests via text message rather than calling a phone number.
—
Jehan Lalkaka,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The report outlines rising costs and developmental delays for each of the aforementioned pieces of hardware, and shows how some Artemis systems were years late, billions of dollars over their original estimates and facing major technical problems.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
Officials said the waiver is intended to accelerate aid delivery and reduce bureaucratic delays during the emergency.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
The memorandum notes that each of these projects has experienced substantial cost increases and numerous delays over the last decade, Ars reports.
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2026
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Lowe said that the government’s statutory inquiry risks becoming another long process that delays accountability, comparing it to other British scandals where official reckoning came only years later.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
In the face of such uncertainty, this treaty – applying the precautionary approach – delays the start of commercial fishing until governments have adequate information to manage fishing sustainably.
—
David Balton,
The Conversation,
15 June 2026
Likewise, if a player deliberately delays a throw-in, the opposing team could be given the throw-in instead.
—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
12 June 2026
This can make conversations feel heavier, delays more frustrating and feedback harder to digest.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Rain delays the next two days, however, could stretch the bullpen if starting pitchers are forced out of the game early.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
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
Noun
Earlier, near the Simon Bolivar International Airport — an area also heavily impacted by the quakes — residents complained of delays in resuming rescue operations.
—
Osmary Hernández,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Be punctual for shore excursions and activities to avoid delays or missing out without a refund.
—
Jill Schildhouse,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
More generally, the tight supply chain can cause delays to server and data center builds and be a limiting factor on growth.
—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
27 June 2026
After having seen clients with months of delays, recently Akimoto has some clients who filed to renew their DACA protection in April and May and got their approvals within six weeks.
—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Instead of saying a platform improves productivity, a customer story might explain how a 40-person construction company reduced scheduling delays by 25% by allowing workers to manage time-off requests via text message rather than calling a phone number.
—
Jehan Lalkaka,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The report outlines rising costs and developmental delays for each of the aforementioned pieces of hardware, and shows how some Artemis systems were years late, billions of dollars over their original estimates and facing major technical problems.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
Officials said the waiver is intended to accelerate aid delivery and reduce bureaucratic delays during the emergency.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
The memorandum notes that each of these projects has experienced substantial cost increases and numerous delays over the last decade, Ars reports.
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2026
Verb
The deal delays highly technical discussions over the mechanics of unwinding Iran’s nuclear program.
—
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Lowe said that the government’s statutory inquiry risks becoming another long process that delays accountability, comparing it to other British scandals where official reckoning came only years later.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
In the face of such uncertainty, this treaty – applying the precautionary approach – delays the start of commercial fishing until governments have adequate information to manage fishing sustainably.
—
David Balton,
The Conversation,
15 June 2026
Likewise, if a player deliberately delays a throw-in, the opposing team could be given the throw-in instead.
—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
12 June 2026
This can make conversations feel heavier, delays more frustrating and feedback harder to digest.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Rain delays the next two days, however, could stretch the bullpen if starting pitchers are forced out of the game early.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Powell said China has such operations lined up and planned well in advance and waits for such triggering events.
-
At its core, Megawheels believes that children should not be stuck on the sidelines while the outdoors waits.
Verb
-
The sisters have reportedly made efforts to remain active within the royal family, but a sense of distance lingers.
-
And even then, that heat would be short-lived if the trough lingers around with cooler air to come.
Verb
-
The Defense secretary said the ceasefire postpones the deadline for securing such approval.
-
This is equally true of society, and disregarding this truth only postpones the moment of reckoning.
Verb
-
There’s a sense that Kaprizov depends too much on Zuccarello and that Zuccarello drags Kaprizov into the east-west game that’s the opposite of how the Wild want to play.
-
As the search drags on, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday commended police for their efforts after weeks of shooting incidents brought international attention to the city’s gun violence problem as thousands of soccer fans visit for the FIFA World Cup.
Verb
-
The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.
-
Blocking protected time for asset building is essential, as busy work often defers this crucial development.
Verb
-
Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
-
At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.
Verb
-
The second is a vent which pokes out above your clothes, to move warm air away from you.
-
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
Verb
-
The war in Iran has helped reshape the global electric vehicle market, giving Chinese automakers an opening across the developing world as soaring fuel prices push drivers towards electric vehicles, even as charging infrastructure lags behind a wave of imports.
-
Trump is viewed favorably by 34% and Biden, Obama's vice president, lags behind both at 30% according to the polling conducted by SSRS, a national research organization.
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
