Synonyms

bide one's time

Idioms

Wait for the opportune moment, as in The cat sat in front of the mousehole, biding its time. This phrase employs the verb to bide in the sense of “to wait for,” a usage dating from about a.d. 950 and surviving mainly in this locution.

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.

bide one's time

Her tactics even earned their own verb: “Merkeln,” meaning to dither or bide one’s time.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2021

Her approach even earned its own verb: “Merkeln,” meaning to dither or bide one’s time.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 23, 2021

To bide one's time may mean a considerable saving.

From The Complete Home by Laughlin, Clara E. (Clara Elizabeth)

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