as in waits
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lingers
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in postpones
to assign to a later time
our guests delayed their departure until after dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of delays
Richard Hall, Time, 20 Sep. 2025
The Ferrari Club of America gathering at Ballantyne Country Club could cause delays during club events Monday morning and afternoon, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Goodwin told The Charlotte Observer.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2025
Flight delays and cancellations arose as staff attempted to process passengers manually.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Officials warned delays would ripple through the evening.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The trouble started with the SAVE Plan The Education Department largely blames these delays in debt cancellation on the Biden administration and the federal courts.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
These delays go unnoticed until velocity drops.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Southwest reported 89 delays, while SkyWest logged 76.
—Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
Pro-housing advocates often criticize the law, known as CEQA, for causing home-building delays in the state.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.
—Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
Should any of these elements fail— delays in deliveries, certification challenges, cost overruns, or weakening demand—the possible losses could be significant.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The wait can leave workers wondering what’s fair and what’s legal when an employer delays payment.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
John Malkovich shows up for a tangent that is meant to be expositional, but really only needlessly delays what’s coming.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Others say that approach risks keeping critical documents under wraps and delays a fuller accounting.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
To accommodate the high number of calls, Fagan said the district started using ambulances from neighboring districts, which delays response times.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The roughly 8,000 residents in this rural area, known for poor cell coverage, are forced to dial a 10-digit backup number, which further delays response times.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
An alleged cyberattack targeting a company that manages check-in and boarding systems for airlines caused delays and cancellations at Europe’s busiest airports on Saturday.
—Richard Hall, Time, 20 Sep. 2025
The Ferrari Club of America gathering at Ballantyne Country Club could cause delays during club events Monday morning and afternoon, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Goodwin told The Charlotte Observer.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2025
Flight delays and cancellations arose as staff attempted to process passengers manually.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Officials warned delays would ripple through the evening.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The trouble started with the SAVE Plan The Education Department largely blames these delays in debt cancellation on the Biden administration and the federal courts.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
These delays go unnoticed until velocity drops.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Southwest reported 89 delays, while SkyWest logged 76.
—Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
Pro-housing advocates often criticize the law, known as CEQA, for causing home-building delays in the state.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
These early shifts—less COVID vaccination; fewer options for flu, MMR, and chickenpox vaccines; and, perhaps soon, delays to the hepatitis-B schedule—may seem benign enough.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.
—Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
Should any of these elements fail— delays in deliveries, certification challenges, cost overruns, or weakening demand—the possible losses could be significant.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The wait can leave workers wondering what’s fair and what’s legal when an employer delays payment.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
John Malkovich shows up for a tangent that is meant to be expositional, but really only needlessly delays what’s coming.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Others say that approach risks keeping critical documents under wraps and delays a fuller accounting.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
To accommodate the high number of calls, Fagan said the district started using ambulances from neighboring districts, which delays response times.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The roughly 8,000 residents in this rural area, known for poor cell coverage, are forced to dial a 10-digit backup number, which further delays response times.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
-
Additionally, guests staying at Loews Royal Pacific, Loews Portofino Bay and Hard Rock Hotel get free Unlimited Express passes to cut waits at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Goldee’s Bar-B-Q Fort Worth, Texas Goldee’s burst onto the Texas scene in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ever since it’s been one of the hottest draws (and longest waits) in the state.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The state has many fall hotspots that offer colorful autumn landscapes and crisp fall weather, providing the perfect escape from the metro Phoenix heat that typically lingers into October.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The finish opens with a maltiness that quickly shifts to honey, followed by a touch of cinnamon and a sweet oak that lingers for a few seconds before turning much drier.—
Chris Perugini,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The panel’s decision postpones the effective dates of TPS terminations directed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Gameplay begins as the player crawls from the wreckage.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
In the footage, the dog hilariously crawls under the blanket, which had slipped down the side of his crate, and ends up pulling it completely off.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Buffett’s buy-and-hold approach not only compounds wealth but also defers taxes, allowing more capital to keep working year after year.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The strategy seeds ETFs before launch, and the original investor defers capital gains until selling their shares.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Cole Palmer intelligently pulls wide and drags Jones with him, leaving a notable distance between Jones and Gravenberch in the middle.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications.—
Leeron Walter,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Like his contemporaries, Meyers often pokes fun at the ongoing actions of the president and his administration on Late Night.—
Emlyn Travis Updated,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Downsides are that base trims aren’t very exciting in their power and handling, some desirable features are optional (raising price), and the base trim lags slightly as compared to some rivals in this price range.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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The announcements offer rare good news for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party lags in the polls and who has lost his deputy prime minister, his US ambassador, and a senior advisor over separate scandals in just a week.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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