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.

---

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

---

Example Sentences

However, Baroness Owen criticised ministers for "delaying action", saying this was "a betrayal of those who need our protection the most".

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2024

The walkouts lasted weeks, delaying action on hundreds of bills.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

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

On this double-headed committee I deliberately thwarted his purpose throughout the entire session, delaying action and preventing any report upon his bill.

From Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White — Volume 1 by White, Andrew Dickson