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
However, at the time, there were also reports that William would defer to his father’s opinion.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Sep. 2025
Kering’s call option to acquire Mayhoola’s stake in 2028 is also deferred to 2029.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, deferring to Russia's Defense Ministry.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
That process has almost never been used in recent years as lawmakers have deferred to funding largely negotiated by party leaders.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Sep. 2025
Kering’s call option to acquire Mayhoola’s stake in 2028 is also deferred to 2029.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, deferring to Russia's Defense Ministry.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
That process has almost never been used in recent years as lawmakers have deferred to funding largely negotiated by party leaders.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 9 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.
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