delaying action

American  

noun

Military.

1. a maneuver in which a defensive force delays the advance of a superior enemy force by withdrawing while inflicting the maximum destruction possible without engaging in decisive combat.

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delaying action British  

noun

1. a measure or measures taken to gain time, as when weaker military forces harass the advance of a superior enemy without coming to a pitched battle

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

delaying action

"I was put into mediation twice, once on fairly minor grounds and secondly with Lucy Letby herself and it seems to be a way of delaying action and investigating those concerns," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2023

Authors of the report say that timeline “falls far short of protecting groundwater by delaying action until 2040.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023

He argues that, while accurate data is needed, the search for ever-more-accurate numbers has become a form of delaying action itself.

From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2022

"These global financial institutions have significant economic and political influence, and they are delaying action that is essential to respond to the climate crisis," said Eden Coates, the report's author.

From Reuters ● Mar. 25, 2022

A small force in a covering or delaying action requires very little strength in rear, while a large force fighting a decisive battle requires much.

From Infantry Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1911 Corrected to April 15, 1917 (Changes Nos. 1 to 19) by Department, United States War