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
With these, as with ties—which women as coolly earnest as Toni Morrison and Julia Roberts and as punk as Janelle Monáe have worn—defer to the airport-style photos of yore.
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Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Terry Rozier: This had been a tricky fit since Rozier’s arrival from the Charlotte Hornets a year ago, with Rozier frequently deferring to both Herro and Butler.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025
But the judges disagreed with the agency’s interpretation of how ISPs could be classified and were emboldened by the recent downfall of Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to regulatory agencies in many cases.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 2 Jan. 2025
It's fueled by social dynamics and the brain's tendency to defer to leaders—who typically have the loudest voices in the room.
—Shanna Apitz, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Terry Rozier: This had been a tricky fit since Rozier’s arrival from the Charlotte Hornets a year ago, with Rozier frequently deferring to both Herro and Butler.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025
But the judges disagreed with the agency’s interpretation of how ISPs could be classified and were emboldened by the recent downfall of Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to regulatory agencies in many cases.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 2 Jan. 2025
It's fueled by social dynamics and the brain's tendency to defer to leaders—who typically have the loudest voices in the room.
—Shanna Apitz, Forbes, 19 Dec. 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 22 Jan. 2025.
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