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

It had been postponed several times, and Brian Bugge was looking forward to finally being done with it. —Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025

The Prince of Darkness got shout-outs from all three acts, which wasn’t too surprising given that Pantera postponed a pair of shows after his death to allow time for grieving. —Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 8 Aug. 2025

Clarkson later postponed the opening of her residency in Las Vegas. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025

In December 2024, the sequel was postponed to October 2027. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025