postpone briefly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "postpone briefly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating a temporary delay or rescheduling of an event or task for a short period of time. Example: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will need to postpone briefly before continuing with the meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

I pray for the former but I expect the latter". Leaders of several liberal groups called on the Senate to postpone briefly the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr., which are scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The voting there could have been postponed briefly, he said, while the rest of the country voted on schedule.

The New York Times

CBS et al.; Sharon v. Time," by Renata Adler, originally listed for publication by Alfred A. Knopf next month, has been postponed briefly while undergoing a legal review by the publishing house.

The New York Times

It will, at best, only briefly postpone the immediate threat Isis poses to American interests in the region.

The Guardian - Opinion

Earlier this week, the State Department asked the social networking site Twitter to briefly postpone scheduled maintenance in order to keep open lines of communication for the Iranian protesters.

Forbes

The White House said it would briefly postpone issuing a new immigration order meant to replace Trump's controversial executive order that has been blocked by federal courts.

Vice

Ensuring that the nation's electors meet to cast their ballots prior to January 20th, but after an investigation into Russian hacking, is little more than a matter of asking these electors to briefly postpone their work.

Huffington Post

One senior official said the agencies were planning to postpone the rules only briefly.

The New York Times

But the risk of European and global volatility may have been only briefly postponed.

The Guardian - Business

New York briefly postponed sending out half a billion dollars worth of refunds until its new fiscal year began in April.

The New York Times

A telecoms-equipment joint venture with Nokia was briefly postponed but is due to go ahead in April.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "postpone briefly" when you want to clearly communicate that a delay is intended to be short and not indefinite. This helps manage expectations and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "postpone" alone when the intention is a short delay. Without "briefly", the delay might be perceived as longer or indefinite, potentially causing confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "postpone briefly" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of delaying something for a short period. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use in various contexts to describe temporary delays.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "postpone briefly" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to indicate a short delay. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides examples from various sources. While not exceedingly common, its usage is clear and consistent, predominantly found in news and media contexts. For alternative phrasing, consider options like ""delay for a short time"" or ""defer temporarily"" to convey a similar meaning. It's important to use "postpone briefly" when you want to clearly communicate that a delay is intended to be short and not indefinite.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

delay for a short time

Emphasizes the temporary nature of the delay.

defer temporarily

Focuses on putting something off until a later, unspecified short time.

reschedule soon

Highlights the act of changing the schedule with a near term horizon.

put off for a moment

Suggests a very short delay, almost instantaneous.

hold off briefly

Indicates a temporary suspension or pause.

suspend momentarily

Highlights a cessation for a very short duration.

adjourn shortly

Suggests a brief break or recess.

table for now

Implies setting something aside for current discussion, to be addressed later soon.

shelve temporarily

Means putting something aside for a limited period.

hold in abeyance briefly

More formal way to express a temporary suspension.

FAQs

How can I use "postpone briefly" in a sentence?

You can use "postpone briefly" to indicate a short delay of an event or action. For example, "Let's "postpone briefly" the meeting until the speaker arrives".

What are some alternatives to "postpone briefly"?

Some alternatives include "delay for a short time", "defer temporarily", or "reschedule soon".

Is it redundant to say "postpone briefly"?

While "postpone" implies a delay, adding "briefly" emphasizes the short duration, clarifying the intention. Whether it's redundant depends on the context; in some cases, the emphasis may be useful.

What's the difference between "postpone" and "postpone briefly"?

"Postpone" generally means to delay an event to a later time, while ""postpone briefly"" specifies that the delay will be for a short duration. The latter is more precise.