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
Bullock, who is the president of the union that represents Austin police officers, deferred to the city when asked to comment on the ruling.
—
Skye Seipp, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Hun Sen leaked the call, where Shinawatra appeared to defer to him, criticizing one of her own military top brass.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 28 July 2025
The study showed tattoo artists rarely consider the risk of tattooing over moles or skin spots, often deferring to the client’s preference of location.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 28 July 2025
Innovation on Bitcoin should be tangible in a way that users can interact with directly, not deferred to future roadmaps or buried in abstractions.
—Carylyne Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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Skye Seipp, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Hun Sen leaked the call, where Shinawatra appeared to defer to him, criticizing one of her own military top brass.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 28 July 2025
The study showed tattoo artists rarely consider the risk of tattooing over moles or skin spots, often deferring to the client’s preference of location.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 28 July 2025
Innovation on Bitcoin should be tangible in a way that users can interact with directly, not deferred to future roadmaps or buried in abstractions.
—Carylyne Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 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 12 Aug. 2025.
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