Synonyms of postpone

postpone

verb

(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn 

as in to defer

to assign to a later time

we'll have to postpone a decision until we have all the information

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defer
• delay
• wait
• suspend
• shelve
• hesitate
• put over
• put off
• remit
• lay over
• hold over
• hold off (on)
• pause
• stay
• prolong
• slow
• hold up
• extend
• lengthen
• retard
• detain
• stretch (out)
• protract

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• do
• act
• work (on)
• deal (with)
• decide (upon)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word postpone distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of postpone are defer, stay, and suspend. While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

Where would defer be a reasonable alternative to postpone?

The meanings of defer and postpone largely overlap; however, defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

In what contexts can stay take the place of postpone?

While in some cases nearly identical to postpone, stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

When can suspend be used instead of postpone?

While the synonyms suspend and postpone are close in meaning, suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of postpone

American firms have already begun canceling orders from China, postponing expansion plans and hunkering down as a result of the tariff war. —Zeke Miller, Time, 7 May 2025

That response was enough to give the judge pause and postpone the rest of the hearing until May 21. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 May 2025

There is always the possibility that Clanton will follow the same path as Sargent and postpone his PGA Tour membership for a year, in order to play his senior year with de Seminoles. —Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025

It will either get postponed, or prepare for the entire group not to make it out of the groupchat. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 29 Apr. 2025