milked the clock
Ran out time
Milked the clock means deliberately used up time, especially to protect an advantage or run out the remaining duration of a game or contest.
A team with a lead milks the clock by slowing play, taking timeouts, or controlling possession: They milked the clock for the final three minutes.
The image is of extracting every possible second, as one extracts milk from an udder.
- delayingCausing later occurrence
- slackingAvoiding effort deliberately
- postponingRescheduling for later
- slow walkingUnhurried pedestrian movement
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
playing for time · sandbagging · procrastination · malingering · shirking · loafing · dawdling · taking one's time · idling · phoning it in · going through the motions · passive resistance · dishonesty · deception · moral hazard · time-wasting · exploitation · killing time
milked the clockwent for the jugular
Attacked most vulnerably
went for the kill · seized the initiative · pushed forward · gambled
milk, milked, milking, milks, milky, milkiness, milkman, clock, clocks