as in postponing
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 deferring
Patients in Minnesota are canceling appointments and deferring critical health care needs because of fear of immigration enforcement as the federal crackdown continues, doctors say.
—
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Just as financial advisors recommend deferring enough into a 401(k) plan to benefit from your employer's full matching contribution, there is no reason to pass this free money up.
—Jessica Dickler,kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Williams deferring any evaluation about a rivalry to the media.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Hoyer made amends for his quiet winter by signing Bregman and acquiring starting pitcher Edward Cabrera in the same week, and Ricketts was absolved by finally opening his wallet and deferring $70 million like a real large-market owner.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
But as IndieWire’s Ben Travers explained in his Season 2 review, the latest installments get bogged down by world-building and franchise positioning — effectively deferring emotional resolution and narrative momentum too long for a game or a TV show.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
Few are buying machinery and some are deferring equipment maintenance, trimming fertilizer, seed and chemical costs, and trying to renegotiate farmland rental agreements.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Smaltz declined to comment on this question, deferring through a spokesperson to his prepared testimony before the House committee.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 4 Dec. 2025
After the 49ers won the coin toss, the 49ers took the ball rather than deferring and getting the ball to open the second half.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Just as financial advisors recommend deferring enough into a 401(k) plan to benefit from your employer's full matching contribution, there is no reason to pass this free money up.
—Jessica Dickler,kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Williams deferring any evaluation about a rivalry to the media.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Hoyer made amends for his quiet winter by signing Bregman and acquiring starting pitcher Edward Cabrera in the same week, and Ricketts was absolved by finally opening his wallet and deferring $70 million like a real large-market owner.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
But as IndieWire’s Ben Travers explained in his Season 2 review, the latest installments get bogged down by world-building and franchise positioning — effectively deferring emotional resolution and narrative momentum too long for a game or a TV show.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
Few are buying machinery and some are deferring equipment maintenance, trimming fertilizer, seed and chemical costs, and trying to renegotiate farmland rental agreements.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Smaltz declined to comment on this question, deferring through a spokesperson to his prepared testimony before the House committee.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 4 Dec. 2025
After the 49ers won the coin toss, the 49ers took the ball rather than deferring and getting the ball to open the second half.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferring
Verb
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About a third of adult immigrants reported skipping or postponing health care in the past year, according to a KFF/New York Times poll released in November.—
Phil Galewitz,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bushman, who was posted with the CDC, got a medical waiver delaying her deployment on account of stress and grief.—
Amy Maxmen,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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His company has mitigated tariff expenses by delaying store expansion and purchasing roasting equipment before the tariffs went into effect.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferring. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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