delay making decisions

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delay making decisions" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the act of postponing or deferring choices or conclusions in various contexts, such as business, personal life, or strategic planning. Example: "In times of uncertainty, it is common for leaders to delay making decisions until they have more information."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"When we feel overwhelmed we start to delay making decisions".

BBC

That very long cycle makes it easy to delay making decisions within an organization.

Harvard Business Review

Research shows that when decisions become complex, many people delay making decisions or back out of them altogether.

Harvard Business Review

The natural response in the face of heightened uncertainty is to delay making decisions — people do not go on vacation or buy a car, and business owners and companies do not hire people unless they absolutely need them.

The New York Times

This facilitated discrimination between patients who make decisions and patients who delay making decisions because of uncertainty [ 24, 25].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In support of these findings, evidence suggests that the primary tactical use of research is to provide ammunition for a decision or course of action so that stakeholders will support the existing decision [ 47, 75], provide funding for the decision [ 3, 43], contribute to the implementation of policies [ 16, 76], or delay making decisions on particular issues [ 47].

Health Research Policy and Systems

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

People are delaying making decisions on implementing technology, so there is a whole host of things going on," he said.

The Guardian - Business

Decision time, the second subscale, included five items gauging the parent's perception of child's inability to delay decision making before considering alternatives (e.g. '[CHILD] often acts at the spur of the moment').

British Journal of Criminology

Considering the individual decisional conflict subscales, with the exception of one subscale, the baseline means are greater than 25, the level that is known to delay decision making (see Table 4).

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

This is done to delay decision making, in the hope that the problem goes away.

WikiHow

And in the US, Congress is given prior notification of all foreign military sales over specific cost-thresholds planned for the following year and can object ahead of the government making a decision". Though Alexander and Murphy say any system of prior scrutiny must not delay decision-making, it could be an important step in increasing transparency and accountability.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When faced with overwhelming information or uncertainty, consider "delaying making decisions" until you have gathered sufficient data and insights to make an informed choice.

Common error

Avoid indefinitely "delaying making decisions" due to the fear of making the wrong choice. Set a deadline for your decision-making process to prevent stagnation and ensure timely action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delay making decisions" functions as a verbal phrase. Ludwig AI's analysis confirms its usability, indicating it describes the action of postponing or deferring choices.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Wiki

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "delay making decisions" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that describes the act of postponing choices or conclusions. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It is most commonly found in news and media and science contexts, reflecting situations where careful consideration and information gathering are necessary before making a choice. While there are various alternative phrases like "postpone making a decision" or "defer decision-making", it's important to consider the specific context and desired level of formality when choosing the most appropriate wording. Avoiding indefinite delays and setting deadlines for decision-making are crucial to prevent analysis paralysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postpone making a decision

Replaces "delay" with "postpone", maintaining the core meaning of deferring a decision.

defer decision-making

Uses "defer" and changes the structure to focus on the process of decision-making.

hold off on deciding

Employs a more informal tone, suggesting a temporary pause in the decision process.

put off making a choice

Replaces "decision" with "choice", indicating a specific selection to be made later.

table the decision

Uses idiomatic expression "table the decision", implying the decision to be discussed and dealt with at a later time.

shelve the decision

Uses idiomatic expression "shelve the decision", which means to postpone or suspend action on something.

suspend decision-making

Emphasizes a temporary halt to the entire process of making decisions.

take a rain check on that decision

Incorporates a casual idiom, suggesting the decision will be addressed at a later, unspecified time.

delay the determination

Replaces "making decisions" with "the determination" indicating the conclusion or resolution.

procrastinate on the decision

Highlights the act of deliberately delaying, often due to reluctance or discomfort.

FAQs

How can I use "delay making decisions" in a sentence?

You can use "delay making decisions" when you want to express the act of postponing or deferring choices or conclusions. For example: "In times of uncertainty, companies often "delay making decisions" until they have more information."

What are some alternatives to "delay making decisions"?

Alternatives include "postpone making a decision", "defer decision-making", or "hold off on deciding", depending on the context.

Is it always bad to "delay making decisions"?

Not necessarily. "Delaying making decisions" can be beneficial when you need more information or when the situation is highly uncertain. However, prolonged delays can lead to missed opportunities or negative consequences.

What factors might cause someone to "delay making decisions"?

Factors such as uncertainty, complexity, fear of making the wrong choice, or a lack of sufficient information can all contribute to someone "delaying making decisions".