biding time
Waiting for opportunity
Biding time is waiting patiently for the right moment to act.
The phrase almost always appears as biding one's time, suggesting deliberate delay rather than passive waiting: She's biding her time until the right job opens up.
Someone biding time isn't idle—they're strategically holding back.
- waitingRemaining in expectation
- patienceCalm during delays
- waiting gameStrategy of deliberate delay
- lingeringRemaining beyond expected duration
- sitting tightRemaining in place patiently
stalling · delaying · hesitating · pausing · cooling one's heels · watching · clock · anticipation · restless · idle · holding · suspended · limbo · interim · meantime · twiddling thumbs · watchful · poised
- waitingwait, await, hold on, hang on, stand by
- Idle Phrasesidle hands, twiddling thumbs, at rest, doing nothing, sitting around
- staying putwait, staying, linger, waiting, remain
- idlenessdoing nothing, idling, loafing, lounging, lazing
- inactioninaction, passivity, doing nothing, stillness, immobility
- temporarytemporary, temp job, interim, temp worker, provisional
biding timerushing in
Entering with haste
jumping the gun · throwing caution to the wind · shooting from the hip · flying off the handle
biding timetaking action
Initiating purposeful effort
jumping in · pushing ahead · going for it · taking the plunge · pouncing
biding timerushing
Rapid forward movement
hurrying · pushing ahead · accelerating · fast-tracking · expediting
bide, biding, time, times, timed, timing, timer, timers, timely