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
Someone else got the role but, after a couple of days of rehearsals, producers wanted him back and deferred to the original contract.
—
Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
One concerns the Chevron doctrine, which requires courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 16 May 2024
Waititi, who is on board as a writer, director, and executive producer, created the series with Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris.
Representatives for Apple TV+ and Waititi deferred to Paramount for comment.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 15 May 2024
When asked for comment, representatives for Waititi and Apple TV+ deferred to Paramount TV Studios.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 May 2024
Other courts have deferred to the government when national security is at stake.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
In dissent, Judge Helene White said the court should be wary of deferring to the government.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Evil Does Not Exist is set in a rural part of Japan some two hours outside of Tokyo, where the residents defer to nature.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2024
For most women, groomed to deny their own capabilities, to distrust themselves and defer to men, the decision to fly was fraught with fears, not only of flying but also of being independent.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
One concerns the Chevron doctrine, which requires courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 16 May 2024
Waititi, who is on board as a writer, director, and executive producer, created the series with Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris.
Representatives for Apple TV+ and Waititi deferred to Paramount for comment.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 15 May 2024
When asked for comment, representatives for Waititi and Apple TV+ deferred to Paramount TV Studios.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 May 2024
Other courts have deferred to the government when national security is at stake.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
In dissent, Judge Helene White said the court should be wary of deferring to the government.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Evil Does Not Exist is set in a rural part of Japan some two hours outside of Tokyo, where the residents defer to nature.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2024
For most women, groomed to deny their own capabilities, to distrust themselves and defer to men, the decision to fly was fraught with fears, not only of flying but also of being independent.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defer to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near defer to
Cite this Entry
“Defer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer%20to. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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