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

"This bill will save lives and delaying action is a betrayal of those who need our protection the most," she said.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2024

The consensus was that "the cost of delaying action was larger than the benefit of waiting," the BoC said.

From Reuters ● Jul. 26, 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

The defender may therefore open fire and expect results at longer ranges than the attacker, and particularly if the defenders intend a delaying action only.

From Manual of Military Training Second, Revised Edition by James A. (James Alfred) Moss