delaying tactic
Strategic foot-dragging method
A delaying tactic is an action taken to postpone a decision, outcome, or confrontation rather than address it directly.
The term often carries a negative connotation—suggesting avoidance or manipulation: Filing endless motions was just a delaying tactic.
In other contexts, delay serves legitimate strategy: The general used delaying tactics to buy time for reinforcements.
- forestallingPreventing by prior action
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- postponementDelaying to later
- foot-draggingDeliberate slowness or resistance
- dragging feetDelaying through reluctance
temporization · deferment · milk the clock · running down the clock · obstruction · run out the clock · stalling for time · passive resistance · adjournment · play for time · waiting game · red tape · smoke and mirrors · rope-a-dope · stonewalling · tarrying · evasion · time-wasting
- delay tacticsstalling, procrastination, postponement, deferral, buying time
- military tacticsflanking, maneuver, ambush, battle formations, combat maneuvers
delaying tacticacceleration
Rate velocity changes
fast-tracking · rushing · hastening · pushing forward · pressing ahead
delaying tacticfrontal assault
Attack from the front
direct action · showdown · bringing to a head · straight talk · cutting to the chase
delaying tacticdecisive action
Firm choice, promptly executed
quick fix · clinching · finalizing · closing the deal · coup de grâce
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