postpone

verb

(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn How to pronounce postpone (audio)
Definition of postponenext
as in to defer
to assign to a later time we'll have to postpone a decision until we have all the information

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word postpone distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of postpone are defer, stay, and suspend. While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

Where would defer be a reasonable alternative to postpone?

The meanings of defer and postpone largely overlap; however, defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

In what contexts can stay take the place of postpone?

While in some cases nearly identical to postpone, stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

When can suspend be used instead of postpone?

While the synonyms suspend and postpone are close in meaning, suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

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 postpone Game doesn’t get postponed because a guy is hurt/sick. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026 Hard choices have been postponed year after year. —Steve Hershey, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026 Among the key releases is the January nonfarm payrolls report, now scheduled for Wednesday after being postponed from last Friday. —Sean Conlon,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026 Demi Lovato is protecting her mental health and, in doing so, was forced to cancel several tour dates and postpone the beginning of her tour. —Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for postpone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postpone
  1. defer
  2. delay
Verb
  • The selection of an acting clerk and a resolution to update the city’s bank signatories were deferred until an acting mayor is selected.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to defer.
    — Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of defer
Verb
  • Silver firmly stated that the investigation and its findings were not purposely delayed while the Clippers host this All-Star weekend.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Officials from those agencies warned lawmakers that the lapse in funding will leave thousands of personnel working without pay, disrupt disaster reimbursements, delay cyber protections and more.
    — Justin Gomez, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of delay

Browse Nearby Words

postmortems
postpone
postponed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Postpone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postpone. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on postpone

Nglish: Translation of postpone for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All