postpone by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "postpone by" is not generally used in written English. If you want to say that something is being postponed, you can instead say "postponed until," "postponed to," or "postponed for." For example: We have postponed the meeting until next week.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Strokes and heart attacks we postpone by surgery or pharmaceuticals, plus an evolving tolerance for stress.

The New York Times

NBC decided Wednesday to postpone by one week the premieres of its fall shows, due to begin on Monday.

The New York Times

But when it came time to pay the balance, she asked if we might postpone by a year.

The New Yorker

On May 29th the European Commission approved a request to postpone by two years, to 2015, France's target for cutting its budget deficit to 3% of GDP.

The Economist

In November, the Pataki administration announced that it would postpone by at least three months the planned Dec. 1 start of the tax collection plan.

The New York Times

The city is offering to help, but with one very big catch: Its residents will have to postpone by eight years the day they will be able to cash in and sell their apartments at the market rate.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Parliament also warned today that it had decided to postpone by-elections scheduled for Nov. 30 after the Guardians Council invalidated most reformist candidates.

The New York Times

The night session was postponed by rain.

The New York Times - Sports

That game was postponed by a lightning storm.

The New York Times - Sports

The inquest was postponed by the coroner in September last year.

The Guardian

The album's release was postponed by a year.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Favor clearer alternatives like "postpone until", "delay until", or "reschedule for" to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "by" after "postpone". While it might seem intuitive, standard English prefers prepositions like "until" or "to" to indicate the time or date to which something is postponed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "postpone by" functions as a prepositional phrase that aims to express the action of delaying something. However, Ludwig AI highlights that this usage is grammatically questionable, with preferred alternatives being "postpone until" or "postpone to".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase “postpone by” appears in numerous contexts, yet Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically questionable. While frequently found in news and media, it's advisable to opt for more precise alternatives such as “postpone until” or “reschedule for” to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness. Sticking to these alternatives helps maintain professionalism and avoids potential misunderstandings. Therefore, while "postpone by" is relatively common, it is not the recommended way to express the action of delaying something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postpone until

Specifies a future date or time to which something is delayed.

delay until

Similar to postpone until, but emphasizes the action of delaying.

reschedule for

Indicates that an event is moved to a new, specific time.

put off until

An idiomatic alternative indicating procrastination or deferment to a later time.

defer to

Suggests a formal postponement, often to a later meeting or date.

hold over until

Indicates something is being kept or maintained until a later point.

adjourn to

Formally postpone a meeting or session to another time or place.

suspend until

Suggests temporarily stopping something with the intention of resuming later.

shelve until

Implies putting something aside, often with no specific date for revisiting.

table until

Similar to shelve, but more often used in formal settings like meetings.

FAQs

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

Use "postpone" with prepositions like "to" or "until". For example, "The meeting was "postponed until" next week" or "The game was "postponed to" Tuesday" are grammatically sound.

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

"Postpone until" and "delay until" are quite similar, but "delay" can sometimes imply a less formal or more passive action. Both indicate that something is being deferred to a later time, but "postpone until" might be preferred in more formal contexts.

Is it ever correct to use "postpone by" in any context?

While some instances of "postpone by" appear in writing, Ludwig AI and standard grammatical conventions suggest it's not the most precise or widely accepted phrasing. Opt for clearer alternatives like "postpone until" or "reschedule for".

What are some formal alternatives to "postpone by"?

In formal contexts, consider using phrases like "defer to", "adjourn to", or "reschedule for" to maintain a professional tone. These alternatives clearly indicate a formal delay or rescheduling of an event or meeting.