Synonyms

mark time

Idioms

Wait idly for something to occur, as in We were just marking time until we received our instructions. This idiom alludes to the literal meaning of marching in place to the time, or beat, of music. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

mark time

But I find that once you put a number down on paper, you can mark time against it.

From Slate ● May 6, 2024

Trees can spark memories, mark time and give us a comforting place to return to.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2024

The town even plays a centuries-old bugle call three times a day from its clock tower to mark time passing by.

From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2022

Kritsky believes it could be because cicadas use fluid in trees to mark time.

From Salon ● May 11, 2021

But the very fact of my having become his carer served as a reminder that we weren’t there to mark time.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023