stringing along
Giving false hope
To string someone along is to keep them waiting or following with false promises or vague encouragement, often to serve your own purposes: He strung her along for months, hinting at commitment but never delivering.
The image is of leading someone by a string—they follow because they believe something awaits.
You can also string along with others, meaning to accompany or go along casually.
- leading onEncouraging without commitment
- breadcrumbingInconsistent romantic teasing
- teaseMock playfully
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
gaslighting · lying · bait-and-switch · bluffing · dangle · double-dealing · conning · bait · dragging out · lure · procrastinating · duplicity · empty promises · postponing · delaying tactics · wasting time · ghosting · love-bombing
- fooling aroundjoking, kidding, jesting, fooling, teasing
- romance scamsromance scam, romance scams, romance fraud, sweetheart scam, catfishing
stringing alongbeing honest
Stating facts sincerely
leveling with · telling the truth · laying cards on the table · coming clean
stringing alongcommitting
Carrying out an act
proposing · settling down · taking the plunge · following through · getting serious
stringing alongletting go
Releasing one's grasp
setting free · releasing · cutting loose · caring for · empowering
string, along, strings, stringed, stringing, stringy, stringiness, stringer, hamstring