Skip to main content
to table

to table

13 7.3
To delay discussion or a decision about something until later
  • verb
  • /ˈteɪbəl/
  • Formal
translation icon : aplazar
  • On January 9, Johnson moved to table Anderson's proposal for the constitutional option.
  • table a motion
  • move to table
  • table an appeal

Let's let's take that and table it for later.

Examples

  • The announcement comes two weeks after voting 5-1 to table the decision.

    Blog text (15)
  • In a final step, the majority could move to table the appeal.

    Academic text (2004)
  • We can table that for a later date.

  • Could we table that for a moment? - Why? -

  • Okay, well, let's table that for now.

  • Okay, let's table this for now.

  • Could we table this discussion right now?

  • The conference leaders tried but failed to table the subject, and discussion continued.

    Academic text (2009)
  • "Let's table this conversation until after the service," she says.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The committee decided to table the discussion on the new policy until next month.

Synonyms

to delay
vsto table
562 1.4

To make something happen later than planned

is about postponing formal discussion of proposals rather than delaying events generally
to postpone
vsto table
234 3.4

To delay something until a later time because of a problem

focuses on delaying consideration of a proposal rather than general rescheduling
to stall
vsto table
166 4.3

To delay doing something on purpose to get more time

describes a formal deferment of discussion rather than tactical time buying
to put off
vsto table
113 2.9

Delay something until a later time

is specifically about delaying formal consideration of motions or proposals
to hold off on
vsto table
37 4.2

To wait before doing something

refers particularly to delaying formal discussion or voting rather than personal actions
to defer
vsto table
  • Formal
15 5.5

To delay something until a later time

is a procedural postponement often used in deliberative bodies rather than casual delays
to shelve
vsto table
11 5.0

To stop work on a plan or project for now

can mean a temporary postponement of consideration rather than permanent abandonment
to put on ice
vsto table
11 5.8

To delay a plan or project for a while

is specifically about deferring formal debate on a motion rather than pausing work
to stall for time
vsto table
  • Informal
6 4.8

To delay doing something to get more time

is a formal pause in considering a proposal rather than a tactical stall
1 5.6

To delay dealing with something until later and make it less important

is about delaying consideration in formal settings rather than lowering priority informally
to hold over
vsto table
1 4.6

To keep something for use or sale after its planned time

focuses on delaying deliberation of proposals rather than extending time frames
to bench
vsto table
  • Formal
1 7.4

To delay decision on a proposal until later

is the general act of postponing discussion, not limited to committee practice
4.2

Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing

is about procedural postponement of discussion rather than personal indecision

Idioms

205 3.5

Available for discussion or decision later

60 5.5

Not available to be considered or accepted

38 2.8

To earn enough money to support yourself or your family

The right to take part in important decisions

To be completely open and honest about your plans or feelings

to run the table
  • Informal
1 7.3

Win every game or match in a series without losing any

To gain a respected place in a group by working hard

Drink more alcohol than another person until they become drunk

To talk longer and more skillfully so the other person cannot answer

To speak more and make others stop talking

Phrasal Verbs

To give useful ideas or skills to a group

Remove dishes and other things from the table after a meal

To hit a table with your hand to demand action or get attention

to clear the table
  • Specialized
1 4.2

Remove all rows from a database table to make it empty

Compounds

74 1.0

A table in a kitchen used for eating or working

69 1.2

A low table in front of a sofa for drinks and magazines

45 1.0

A table where people eat dinner and other meals

36 2.5

A heavy flat table with pockets used for playing pool

A table in a dining room where people eat meals

18 1.9

A small table next to a bed for a lamp, books, or a phone

operating table
  • Specialized
18 2.5

A special table in an operating room where a patient lies during surgery

12 1.0

A table for people to sit around and eat meals together

A table where people eat breakfast

A large table where people sit for meetings in an office or boardroom

11 2.6

A small folding table used for playing card games

water table
  • Specialized
10 3.9

The level underground where the soil or rock are full of water

periodic table
  • Specialized
9 3.5

A chart that shows all chemical elements by their atomic number and groups similar ones together

Done secretly to hide payments and avoid the law

A large attractive book with many photos or pictures kept on a living room table for guests to browse

8 1.4

A game like tennis played on a table with small paddles and a light ball

7 3.3

A discussion where people who are equal share ideas about a topic

Round Table
  • Literature
7 6.5

A large round table in stories about King Arthur where knights sit as equals

A list at the start of a book or document showing chapters and the pages they start on

A low table with a mirror for doing hair and makeup

A table for playing table tennis with a net in the middle

table saw
  • Specialized
5 4.2

A tool for cutting wood using a round blade that sticks up through a table

4 9.1

A member of King Arthur's court who sits at the Round Table and is brave and fair

The way plates, knives, forks, and glasses are placed for a meal

4 1.0

A white seasoning made from a common mineral to add flavor and keep food fresh

Food that comes directly from local farms with few middle sellers

3 3.6

A table where people gamble with chips and cards

3 1.0

A small light that stands on a table for reading or making a room look nice

3 2.7

A small amount of leftover food from a meal that is given to animals or thrown away

2 2.2

Cloth items like napkins and tablecloths used to cover a dining table

2 2.3

A table for doing a particular job, like sewing or woodwork

actuarial table
  • Specialized
2 8.2

A table showing the chance people of different ages will die or get ill, used by insurers and pension funds

A large flat table with a smooth cloth surface for playing games like pool or snooker

drafting table
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A large table with an adjustable top that you use for drawing plans

high table
  • Jargon
1 7.5

A table on a raised platform in a college hall where professors and guests eat

1 2.6

A game played on a table like a board game or card game

A table with a flat top held up by two or more supports and often easy to move

A table with a surface that can be tilted for drawing

1 3.9

A small table where children eat during family meals

1 1.0

A blunt tool used to cut and spread food at the table

1 2.4

A small piece of furniture for serving tea and snacks to guests

A desk with a flat top used for writing and often with drawers

1 3.0

A small low table placed in front of a sofa to hold drinks or magazines

table talk
  • Informal
1 4.5

Talk that people have while they eat a meal

1 2.9

A wine people drink with a meal

A narrow table that stands against a wall to hold decorations in a hallway or entryway

A large table that council members sit around during meetings

file allocation table
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A table on a computer disk that shows where information is stored and which areas cannot be used

mortality table
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A table showing how likely people of each age are to die and the average years they have left

1 8.8

A long narrow dining table used in monasteries or large halls

A table with one central leg instead of four legs

1 3.1

A set of matching dishes and utensils used at the dining table

table rapping
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A way people try to talk with dead people by tapping a table

A flat rectangular table with a net used to play table tennis

1 6.6

A set of meals planned for athletes and served together to help them train

A table in a church where bread and wine are placed for Communion

correlation table
  • Specialized
5.6

A table that shows how two things are related with numbers in the cells

decision table
  • Specialized
4.5

A table that lists possible conditions and the action to take for each

A table with sides that fold down to save space and lift up to make it larger

7.0

A round table where King Arthur and his knights sat as equals

A table in a church where the priest places the bread and wine for Holy Communion

A raised table on a farm that helps people milk cows

A table with hinged leaves that fold down and are held by legs that swing out

A scale divided into steps used to measure or compare things

A pine tree from Japan and Korea with a wide, uneven crown often grown in gardens

A meeting where people at the same level discuss a subject together

Parsons table
  • Specialized
7.1

A simple rectangular table with a top and legs the same width and a clean modern look

pier table
  • Archaic
9.1

A low narrow table set against a wall under a mirror in a hallway

6.5

A machine you play by hitting buttons to move a metal ball

A flat rectangular table with a net for playing table tennis

plane table
  • Specialized
8.1

A drawing board with a ruler on a tripod for mapping land features

table lifting
  • Archaic
9.9

A rising of a table during a seance that people say spirits cause it

A menu that offers a set of courses for one fixed price

How Long

to abandon
401 3.8
to shelve
11 5.0
to table
  • Formal
13 7.3
to delay
562 1.4

Surface Forms

table infinitive
tabled past
tabled past participle
tabling present participle
tables third person singular

Etymology

A helpful way to remember the verb table meaning 'to postpone' is to imagine putting a paper or idea on the table and leaving it there for later, so the image of placing it on the table explains delaying the discussion.