play for time
play for time — idiom
1. to cause a delay in a situation by doing or saying things that are not directly
to cause a delay in a situation by doing or saying things that are not directly important, so that you have more time to prepare or can avoid making an immediate decision
When the journalist asked about the scandal, the politician played for time by discussing the weather.
played for time + by [doing something] pattern
Sari's essay was not finished, so she played for time by searching for it in her bag.
The goalkeeper pretended to tie his shoelaces to play for time in the final minutes of the match.
Asher kept asking technical questions during the presentation, but everyone knew he was just playing for time.
Ritu said she needed to check with her lawyer to play for time before signing the contract.
- stall
more informal; can also apply to engines or processes stopping
- buy time
broader meaning; can involve any method of gaining more time, not just talking or pretending
- procrastinate
refers to putting off a task you should do; not necessarily a deliberate tactic in a conversation
文法句型
play for time
playing for time (continuous form)
played for time (past simple)
用法筆記
Common in political, legal, and business contexts where someone is deliberately avoiding giving an immediate answer. Frequently appears in continuous form (is playing for time) or after verbs like try to, want to, need to.