defer to
phrasal verb
deferred to; deferring to; defers to
1
: to allow (someone else) to decide or choose something
You have more experience with this, so I'm going to defer to you.
deferring to the experts
2
defer to (something)
: to agree to follow (someone else's decision, a tradition, etc.)
The court defers to precedent in cases like these.
He deferred to his parents' wishes.
Examples of defer to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whereas today, law enforcement can correctly remove people on their own, under the Stewart-Cousins measure, they’d be required to notify and, where possible, defer to professional crisis response teams, which will lead to paralysis rather than action.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025
This feels like a good place to defer to the advanced metrics, which are much higher on the Heels than either the Mustangs or Demon Deacons.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
If an employer had previously submitted an extension request for their employee’s H-1B visa, the USCIS can defer to its past decision about the same request and approve the visa extension faster if certain conditions are met.
—Sophie Alcorn, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Roope Hintz took a pass in the slot from Sebastian Aho midway through the second and instead of shooting, deferred to Mikko Rantanen on the left flank.
—Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025
This feels like a good place to defer to the advanced metrics, which are much higher on the Heels than either the Mustangs or Demon Deacons.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
If an employer had previously submitted an extension request for their employee’s H-1B visa, the USCIS can defer to its past decision about the same request and approve the visa extension faster if certain conditions are met.
—Sophie Alcorn, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Roope Hintz took a pass in the slot from Sebastian Aho midway through the second and instead of shooting, deferred to Mikko Rantanen on the left flank.
—Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
Cite this Entry
“Defer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer%20to. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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