Delays are a part of everyday life, whether it’s rescheduling meetings, postponing events, or putting tasks on hold. In English, there are several phrasal verbs for postponing that help express these situations naturally. Using the right expressions makes communication smoother and more precise.
For example, instead of simply saying, We delayed the meeting, you can say, We put off the meeting until next week. These phrasal verbs add fluency to your speech and writing.
This guide covers common phrasal verbs used for postponing, with explanations and examples to help you use them effectively in different contexts.
Express Delays in English – 15 Phrasal Verbs for Postponing
Put Off – Meaning and Examples
To delay or reschedule something for a later time
“Put off” is commonly used when postponing an event, task, or decision. It implies that something will be done later than originally planned.
Examples:
- Olivia put off her dentist appointment until next week.
- The team put off the project deadline due to unexpected issues.
- I keep putting off cleaning my room, but I need to do it soon.
Hold Off – Meaning and Examples
To postpone an action or decision temporarily
“Hold off” suggests delaying something for a short time, often while waiting for a better moment.
Examples:
- Daniel held off telling his parents about his new job until it was confirmed.
- The coach decided to hold off the training session because of the rain.
Push Back – Meaning and Examples
To reschedule something to a later time or date
“Push back” is often used in business or formal settings when an event or deadline is moved further into the future.
Examples:
- The manager pushed back the meeting to accommodate everyone’s schedule.
- Due to bad weather, the concert has been pushed back to next weekend.
- Mia asked to push back her appointment because she was running late.
Put Back – Meaning and Examples
To move an event or deadline to a later time
“Put back” is similar to “push back” and is used when rescheduling something for a later time.
Examples:
- They put back the release date of the new product due to production delays.
- Lucas had to put back his vacation plans because of work commitments.
Call Off – Meaning and Examples
To cancel or postpone an event or plan
“Call off” can mean either canceling something completely or postponing it indefinitely.
Examples:
- The outdoor wedding was called off due to heavy rain.
- The manager decided to call off the meeting because key team members were absent.
- Sophia and Ethan called off their trip and decided to travel later instead.
Hold Up – Meaning and Examples
To delay progress or prevent something from happening on time
“Hold up” is used when an action or event is slowed down or prevented from happening as expected.
Examples:
- Traffic held up our arrival, so we were 30 minutes late.
- The movie’s release was held up due to last-minute edits.
Drag Out – Meaning and Examples
To extend something longer than necessary
“Drag out” suggests that something is taking more time than expected, often unnecessarily.
Examples:
- The negotiations were dragged out for months without a clear decision.
- I didn’t want to drag out the conversation, so I got straight to the point.
- The meeting was dragged out longer than it needed to be.
Set Back – Meaning and Examples
To cause a delay in progress or completion
“Set back” is used when an obstacle or issue causes something to be postponed or delayed.
Examples:
- The unexpected power outage set back the construction project.
- His injury set back his training schedule by several weeks.
- The company’s financial problems set back their expansion plans.
Table (Something) – Meaning and Examples
To postpone discussing or deciding something until later
“Table” is often used in formal or business settings when delaying a discussion or decision.
Examples:
- The committee decided to table the proposal until next month.
- Let’s table this topic for now and revisit it after we gather more data.
- The board tabled the discussion about budget cuts until the next meeting.
Kick Down the Road – Meaning and Examples
To delay dealing with an issue or decision
“Kick down the road” is often used to describe avoiding or postponing a problem rather than addressing it.
Examples:
- The government kicked the tax reform down the road instead of making a decision.
- They keep kicking the issue down the road instead of finding a solution.
- We can’t keep kicking this problem down the road; we must address it now.
Put Aside – Meaning and Examples
To delay dealing with something to focus on something else
“Put aside” is used when postponing a task or issue temporarily to prioritize something more important.
Examples:
- Mia put aside her part-time projects to focus on her exams.
- The manager put aside the discussion about budget cuts to address an urgent issue.
- Let’s put aside our differences and finish this project first.
Put on Hold – Meaning and Examples
To temporarily pause or delay something
“Put on hold” is commonly used when suspending an action, decision, or process for a period of time.
Examples:
- The company put on hold its hiring plans due to financial concerns.
- Jake put his vacation on hold because of a work emergency.
- The customer service agent put me on hold while checking the information.
Knock Back – Meaning and Examples
To reject or delay a proposal or request
“Knock back” can mean refusing or delaying something, often in response to an offer, suggestion, or opportunity.
Examples:
- The investors knocked back the new business proposal, asking for changes.
- She was knocked back for the promotion but was encouraged to apply again.
- The council knocked back the request to build a new shopping mall.
Shove Aside – Meaning and Examples
To push something away for later consideration
“Shove aside” is used when someone deliberately ignores or delays dealing with an issue.
Examples:
- The company shoved aside customer complaints and focused on profits instead.
- He shoved aside his responsibilities and went on a trip.
- The government shoved aside the environmental concerns for now.
Defer To – Meaning and Examples
To postpone or delay a decision until a later time
“Defer to” is often used in formal settings when delaying an action or decision.
Examples:
- The judge deferred to a later date to announce the verdict.
- They decided to defer to the experts before making a decision.
