as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
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Recent Examples of defer
Russia’s disruption backfired spectacularly, with only six other countries supporting the move to defer adoption of the agreement, while 143 states rejected it and 15 abstained.
—
Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2025
The funds from the November referendum are set to go for improvements over the next several years to school safety, maintenance projects that have been deferred and making operations more efficient, according to past reporting.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
The speaker is like the ant from Aesop’s fable, thrifty and responsible, willing to defer gratification until a more suitable time.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Criticism of the Dodgers deferring money, or delaying paying players much of their salary until after their contract with the team ends, first began in 2023.
—Russell Leung, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2025
The funds from the November referendum are set to go for improvements over the next several years to school safety, maintenance projects that have been deferred and making operations more efficient, according to past reporting.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
The speaker is like the ant from Aesop’s fable, thrifty and responsible, willing to defer gratification until a more suitable time.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Criticism of the Dodgers deferring money, or delaying paying players much of their salary until after their contract with the team ends, first began in 2023.
—Russell Leung, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer
Cite this Entry
“Defer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defer. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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