1
as in lingering
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in postponing
to assign to a later time
our guests delayed their departure until after dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delaying
Most employees would fear losing their chance to be reimbursed, even at the expense of delaying activities linked to their primary job.
—
Rohan Joshi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Pediatrician medical groups argue delaying this birth dose until one month of life would leave the opportunity for babies to be missed if they are born to a mother infected with the virus or from a close contact soon after birth.
—Sony Salzman, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
Some advisors defended the birth dose recommendation during the meeting, saying that delaying it could introduce potential risks to babies, including more infections.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
It was scheduled to also vote on possibly delaying the administration of the hepatitis B vaccine, but it was delayed until Friday, when the panel is also expected to consider COVID-19 vaccine guidance.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
In making the argument for delaying the first dose of the hepatitis-B vaccine—which Kennedy has refused to say doesn’t cause autism, despite numerous studies showing no association—the committee built a more multifaceted case.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Health experts say the panel is expected to recommend delaying hepatitis B shots for newborns, among other major updates.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
The long-term effect is a generation carrying debt, stuck in low-wage jobs, and delaying milestones like homeownership or starting families.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Flush-fit door handles fail far more often during side impacts than regular handles, delaying egress or rescue time after a crash.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Rohan Joshi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Pediatrician medical groups argue delaying this birth dose until one month of life would leave the opportunity for babies to be missed if they are born to a mother infected with the virus or from a close contact soon after birth.
—Sony Salzman, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
Some advisors defended the birth dose recommendation during the meeting, saying that delaying it could introduce potential risks to babies, including more infections.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
It was scheduled to also vote on possibly delaying the administration of the hepatitis B vaccine, but it was delayed until Friday, when the panel is also expected to consider COVID-19 vaccine guidance.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
In making the argument for delaying the first dose of the hepatitis-B vaccine—which Kennedy has refused to say doesn’t cause autism, despite numerous studies showing no association—the committee built a more multifaceted case.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Health experts say the panel is expected to recommend delaying hepatitis B shots for newborns, among other major updates.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
The long-term effect is a generation carrying debt, stuck in low-wage jobs, and delaying milestones like homeownership or starting families.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Flush-fit door handles fail far more often during side impacts than regular handles, delaying egress or rescue time after a crash.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delaying
Verb
-
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The performance was impacted by the lingering effects of operational challenges, delivery delays and store closures initiated last year.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Windy City has prepared for more than a week for looming National Guard deployments and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, from the governor bracing for a court fight to parade planners postponing.—
Priscilla Alvarez,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Moncur struggled for seven minutes, dragging Blaze — who was locked on her arm — to the front of the facility in search of help.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The trends have contributed to a slump in consumer confidence, dragging on spending and threatening leaders’ official growth target for this year of around 5%.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The decision marks an extraordinary break with the country’s history of deferring justice in the name of peace.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
While many executives are pausing on big hires or deferring large projects, Dave Anderson, Founder of TSC Security, argues that protecting your company’s digital assets should not be placed on the back burner.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2009, Tropicana replaced its familiar logo, an orange with a straw poking out, with a minimalist design featuring a glass of orange juice.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of Trump before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of a tree line.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Fans catapulted themselves through the air, crawling onto the stage.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
16 Sep. 2025
-
But the line is wildly popular—the launch of a collaboration with the street artist KAWS sparked a frenzy in China in 2019, with shoppers crawling under shutters, removing clothes from mannequins, and putting one another in headlocks to get the shirts before they were gone.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Delaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delaying. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share