as in waits
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there was a delay for our boarding while the airplane unloaded incoming passengers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lingers
to move or act slowly
she ordered the kids to stop delaying and to get to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in postpones
to assign to a later time
our guests delayed their departure until after dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of delays
Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
The Covid pandemic snarled airplane assembly at both Boeing and its chief rival, Airbus, with supply chain delays and loss of experienced workers, even after the worst of the health crisis subsided.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
If a companion delays plans, state what works for you and propose a simple solution that respects both sides.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
If available, enable delays or approval requirements for first-time transfers to new payees.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Our many protests garner only more lies and delays.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Travelers reserve a van seat before arrival to avoid last-minute delays due to limited transport spaces.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Flyers should try to mitigate any headaches from delays and cancellations by avoiding booking flights with layovers, the non-profit US Public Interest Research Group says, and opt to make reservations directly with the airline rather than a third-party website.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
After the modems were shut off in 2021, Forlini said, each community had to bring in the memory sticks in the tabulators to the county elections department for uploading, which brought delays in reporting unofficial results.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
These early shifts—less COVID vaccination; fewer options for flu, MMR, and chickenpox vaccines; and, perhaps soon, delays to the hepatitis-B schedule—may seem benign enough.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.
—Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
Should any of these elements fail— delays in deliveries, certification challenges, cost overruns, or weakening demand—the possible losses could be significant.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The wait can leave workers wondering what’s fair and what’s legal when an employer delays payment.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
John Malkovich shows up for a tangent that is meant to be expositional, but really only needlessly delays what’s coming.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
Bayt Almocha had also been expected to open last summer, but delays pushed that plan back to March.
—Verb
Department officials later told her in texts and emails that delays completing the more detailed review of Rochelle’s home were her fault.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for delays
Noun
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Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport warned travelers of up to three-hour waits for security screening this week.—
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Although crowding issues have improved since American Express restricted Centurion guest access, there are often still long waits.—
Verb
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Today the sprawling complex is a museum and visitor attraction, where a sense of unease lurks along paved tourist trails and lingers in dark corridors.—
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Early next week, a brief warmup returns highs to the 30s before cooler air likely lingers deeper into mid-January.—
Verb
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Scripps continues to pursue a strategy that focuses on the northern parts of San Diego County and postpones reconstruction plans for Scripps Mercy Hospital, which operates sister campuses in Hillcrest and Chula Vista.—
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The panel’s decision postpones the effective dates of TPS terminations directed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.—
Verb
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Iwobi’s movement drags Ladislav Krejci wider, increasing the space between the lines and creating a clear passing angle for Calvin Bassey.—
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This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.—
Verb
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One amendment to the bill adding new zoning categories defers its effective date to April 5, which Johnston said was meant to give the Planning Department enough time to put together and disseminate the map.—
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After winning the coin toss, FIU opted to receive the kickoff — a rare move by Simmons, who usually defers and takes the ball to start the second half.—
Verb
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Since the holidays, many of us have spent winter days cooped up inside, shuttling between work, school and home while the calendar crawls toward spring.—
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In Elf, while Santa (the late Ed Asner) is setting out toys at an orphanage on Christmas Eve, Buddy (Will Ferrell) crawls into his sack.—
Verb
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Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
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The Aries moon pokes holes in old insecurities about competence and productivity.—
Verb
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Recent data showed that police response is becoming faster, but still lags behind California standards.—
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Metra has restored many trains since pandemic service cuts, but overall service still lags full pre-COVID schedules across several lines and times, and riders continue to report delays.—
Cite this Entry
“Delays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delays. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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