delay until

USAGE SUMMARY

"delay until" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to wait until a certain point in time or until a certain action has been completed. For example, "I'm going to delay until the paperwork is all signed before sending out the final documents."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

His request for a delay until Oct. 17 was granted.

The New York Times

And if there isn't, they'll delay until they find it.

The Guardian

Or they can delay until the window of opportunity closes.

The New York Times

"We were asking for a delay until then," she said.

The New York Times

But high winter waves may force a delay until spring.

The New York Times

The Franks campaign immediately questioned the need for a delay until after Election Day.

The New York Times

Still, delay until the middle of next month is the preferred option.

The New York Times

"To delay until Tuesday would not be in the public interest".

The New York Times

The group has filed a lawsuit, and it won a delay, until February.

The New York Times

He prefers to delay until the economy is in a clear upswing.

The New York Times

The Bush administration ordered a further delay until June 30 , 2002

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "delay until" when you want to explicitly state the condition or event that must occur before an action is taken. For instance, "We will delay until all approvals are received."

Common error

Avoid using "delay until" when the reason for the delay is unclear or unstated. Instead, provide a clear explanation of why the action is being postponed and what needs to happen before it can proceed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delay until" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating a postponement of an action or event up to a specific point in time. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a grammatically sound expression commonly used to describe deferring action.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "delay until" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that indicates the postponement of an action or event until a specific condition is met, according to Ludwig AI. It's versatile, fitting into various contexts from news and media to scientific writing. While it is not incorrect, it is important to ensure the reason for the delay is clear. Consider using alternative phrases, such as "postpone until" or "defer until", depending on the nuance you wish to convey. By understanding its proper usage, you can effectively communicate when and why something is being delayed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postpone until

Emphasizes formally rescheduling something to a later date.

defer until

Suggests putting something off to a future time, often due to unforeseen circumstances.

hold off until

Implies waiting to take action until a specific condition is met.

put off until

Informal way to say postpone.

suspend until

Indicates temporarily stopping something until a later time.

wait until

Emphasizes the act of waiting for a certain event or time before proceeding.

shelve until

Means to put something aside, possibly indefinitely, until a later time or decision.

adjourn until

Specifically refers to pausing a meeting or session until a later time.

table until

To postpone discussion or consideration of something.

protract until

To extend the duration of something until a specified time.

FAQs

How to use "delay until" in a sentence?

You can use "delay until" to indicate that an action will not happen before a specific event or time. For example, "We will delay until the inspection is complete."

What can I say instead of "delay until"?

You can use alternatives like "postpone until", "defer until", or "hold off until" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "delay until" or "delayed until"?

"Delay until" is used to indicate a future postponement, whereas "delayed until" describes something that has already been postponed. For example, "We will delay until next week," versus "The meeting was delayed until next week."

What's the difference between "delay until" and "waiting until"?

"Delay until" implies a conscious decision to postpone something, while "waiting until" simply describes the act of waiting for something to happen. The first describes a choice, the second just a state of fact.