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
Buncombe County officials, who previously reported 72 deaths, are now deferring to a state tally of 42 deaths for the county.
—
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
When push comes to shove, companies will defer to prioritizing profits over employees.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
The most significant of those rulings came in June, when the conservative majority overturned a 40-year-old decision that said courts must defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous law passed by Congress.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024
The new regulations clarify rules and time lines and, most significantly, direct museums to defer to a tribal nation’s knowledge of its customs, traditions, and histories when making their repatriation decisions.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for defer to 
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Alexandra Banner, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
When push comes to shove, companies will defer to prioritizing profits over employees.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
The most significant of those rulings came in June, when the conservative majority overturned a 40-year-old decision that said courts must defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous law passed by Congress.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024
The new regulations clarify rules and time lines and, most significantly, direct museums to defer to a tribal nation’s knowledge of its customs, traditions, and histories when making their repatriation decisions.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for defer to
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 13 Nov. 2024.
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