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

In an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees Reagan National Airport, deferred to the FAA and the airlines for comment about Saturday’s incidents. —David Chiu, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025

Jagger said Dylan deferred to someone younger, leading to the appearance of the Rolling Stones frontman. —Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2025

The governor’s office deferred to CUNY for comment on the protest, but confirmed the job listing has been removed from their website. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025

Prior to the order, according to New Hampshire Public Radio, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association deferred to athletes and their districts on their eligibility. —Ryan Morik, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for defer to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue