Defer, postpone, intermit, suspend, stay mean to cause a delay in an action, activity, or proceeding.
Defer suggests little more than a putting off till a later time; ordinarily it implies an intentional delaying. It may imply a delay in fulfillment, attainment, or fruition that is occasioned by conditions beyond one’s control.
Postpone implies an intentional deferring, commonly until a definite time.
Intermit implies a stopping for a time, usually as a measure of relief, and typically with an expectation of starting again after an interval.
Suspend denotes a stopping or making inoperative for a time and usually for a reason (as personal desire or a legal restriction) that is implicit or explicit in the context.
Stay implies the interposition of an obstacle to something that is in progress; it may suggest bringing it to a complete stop, but more often it suggests an intermitting or suspending or a slackening of pace.