delayed-action
adjective
(of an explosive projectile) exploding some time after hitting the target.
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delayed action
delayed action
delayed-action
American
[dih-layd-ak-shuhn]
/ dɪˈleɪdˈæk ʃən /
Also
delay-action
adjective
delayed action
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of delayed-action
First recorded in 1890–95
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:
In a delayed-action scenario, debt in 2050-51 would be 23% of GDP higher than in the early-action scenario, it said.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2021
One person close to the family described her influence as a delayed-action fuse: at times the president will mention a point Ms. Trump made, uncredited, days later.
From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2017
Where the arrangements solidify, they often use Pink Floyd’s techniques, including delayed-action drumbeats and gleaming keyboard tones that chime in while a power chord reverberates.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2009
It might be a delayed-action bomb, or it might be a harmless casing deliberately filled with inert material.
From Time Magazine Archive
Dad set up a still camera on a tripod, connected the delayed-action attachment, and took a series of pictures showing us lowering the coffin into the grave and covering it with sand.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
She said the council recognised the financial pressure on the government, but delayed action to tackle climate change would cost more in the long-term.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
County supervisors have pushed to shut down the facility, but plans for how to close the jail and questions of what would happen to the inmates housed there have delayed action.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Prosecutors said Gonzales then delayed action, waiting on the east side of the school for backup and more cover as gunshots sounded and he relayed the shooter’s location on his radio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
This delayed action presents a major problem today as we threaten other global limits.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024
Conditions were seldom ideal, for the delayed action release was unreliable.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
