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
Mayors have historically deferred to aldermen as part of a power-sharing agreement that dates back decades.
—
Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Recent black bear sightings in Greater Cincinnati have prompted several calls to 911, but local police are deferring to state wildlife officials to respond.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, The Enquirer, 9 July 2025
When asked about their concerns about the Climate Superfund Act, both groups deferred to a joint letter sent to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in March, signed by about two dozen opposition groups.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
The university's policy largely defers to departments in setting workloads.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
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Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Recent black bear sightings in Greater Cincinnati have prompted several calls to 911, but local police are deferring to state wildlife officials to respond.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, The Enquirer, 9 July 2025
When asked about their concerns about the Climate Superfund Act, both groups deferred to a joint letter sent to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in March, signed by about two dozen opposition groups.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
The university's policy largely defers to departments in setting workloads.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defer to
Cite this Entry
“Defer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer%20to. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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