Synonyms of postpone

postpone

verb

(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn 

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

• defer
• delay
• wait
• suspend
• shelve
• hesitate
• put over
• put off
• remit
• lay over
• hold over
• hold off (on)
• pause
• stay
• prolong
• slow
• hold up
• extend
• lengthen
• retard
• detain
• stretch (out)
• protract

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• do
• act
• work (on)
• deal (with)
• decide (upon)

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

Recent Examples of postpone

As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports, Apple had hoped to announce its smart home control device this month but has been forced to postpone it since some of the device’s features rely on advanced Siri capabilities that aren’t ready yet. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 10 Mar. 2025

Unexpected quadruple bypass surgery forced Williamson to postpone the performance to this week, in concerts conducted by Gustavo Gimeno. —Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025

The list of 26 events that have been canceled or postponed includes 15 that the artist or producer canceled for reasons unrelated to illness, availability, sales, or finances. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025

The concert was previously postponed in October when the singer was diagnosed with bronchitis and laryngitis. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025