delay tactic
Purposeful slow play
A delay tactic is a maneuver intended to postpone action or decision, often to gain advantage or avoid consequences.
Politicians use delay tactics to stall legislation; lawyers use them to drag out proceedings.
The phrase usually implies the delay serves the delayer's interests rather than any legitimate purpose: His request for more data was just a delay tactic.
- postponementDelaying to later
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
- stall for timeDelay through distraction
- playing for timeDeliberate delay tactic
stay of proceedings · time-wasting · running out the clock · buying time · obstruction · hindrance · adjournment · temporizing · waiting game · strategic · foot-dragging · dragging feet · slow walking · stonewalling · rope-a-dope · long game · dawdling · deferral
- avoidanceavoidance, distancing, evasion, dodging, pulling away
- delayersprocrastinator, staller, dawdler, postponer, foot-dragger
- baseball tacticshit and run, double steal, pickoff, steal, sacrifice bunt
- deliberate deceptionsbluff, feint, misdirection, red herring, decoy
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- labor disputesstrikes, strike, labor strike, walkout, walkouts
delay tacticfast-tracking
Accelerating a procedure's timeline
expediting · acceleration · rushing · speed-up · rapid response
delay tacticdirect action
Confrontational political tactics
confrontation · straight talk · cutting to the chase · getting to the point · frontal assault
delay tacticresolution
Formal decision or determination
settlement · decisive action · closure · breakthrough · deal-making
delay, tactic, delays, delayed, delaying, tactics, tactical, tactically, tactician