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
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
Contacted on Tuesday, the five TV networks either did not comment or deferred to the text of the letter.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Indeed, our data suggest that successful allies engage with social change while deferring to activists and taking a backseat in leadership roles.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
After spending the last six years of her career deferring to managers, promoters and executives at various labels, Sanderson is back to doing all of work for herself.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
Although the Court today expresses no view on whether Texas's law is constitutional, and instead defers to a lower court's management of its docket, the Court of Appeals abused its discretion by entering an unreasoned and indefinite administrative stay that altered the status quo.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
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
Contacted on Tuesday, the five TV networks either did not comment or deferred to the text of the letter.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Indeed, our data suggest that successful allies engage with social change while deferring to activists and taking a backseat in leadership roles.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
After spending the last six years of her career deferring to managers, promoters and executives at various labels, Sanderson is back to doing all of work for herself.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
Although the Court today expresses no view on whether Texas's law is constitutional, and instead defers to a lower court's management of its docket, the Court of Appeals abused its discretion by entering an unreasoned and indefinite administrative stay that altered the status quo.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 19 Mar. 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 11 May. 2024.
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