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
And there’s good guest work from Mark McKinney as an Atelier client who defers to the taste of his 14-year-old daughter, and Rhys Darby as a roguish former colleague now out on his own — his scenes with Graham have a delightful rhythm, and one hopes to see more of him.
—
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025
And yet, during his confirmation hearings this week, Kennedy repeatedly deferred to Trump.
—Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
According to Andy Martino of cable television sports network SNY, the Mets have made an offer of three years and $70 million to Alonso, but with enough money deferred to bring the current payout to about $60 million, or $20 million per year on average.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The Dodgers’ total payroll for 2025 will likely exceed $500 million, including penalties, according to ESPN — not to mention the more than $1 billion in salary deferred to years in the future.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
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Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025
And yet, during his confirmation hearings this week, Kennedy repeatedly deferred to Trump.
—Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
According to Andy Martino of cable television sports network SNY, the Mets have made an offer of three years and $70 million to Alonso, but with enough money deferred to bring the current payout to about $60 million, or $20 million per year on average.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The Dodgers’ total payroll for 2025 will likely exceed $500 million, including penalties, according to ESPN — not to mention the more than $1 billion in salary deferred to years in the future.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for defer to
Dictionary Entries Near defer to
Cite this Entry
“Defer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer%20to. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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