waiting game

American  

noun

1. a stratagem in which action on a matter is reserved for or postponed to a later time, allowing one to wait for a more advantageous time to act or to see what develops in the meantime.

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waiting game British  

noun

1. the postponement of action or decision in order to gain the advantage

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waiting game Idioms  

1. see play a waiting game.

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Etymology

Origin of waiting game

First recorded in 1885–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waiting game

We now face a waiting game for even that verdict to officially be made public by the independent panel.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

"It's as if I'm stuck in a time I can't get out of... It's the waiting game that I can't stand," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

The vans belong to young Israeli squatters who play their own waiting game, smoking cigarettes and milling about.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The hype around quantum computing continues to build, but for many players, it’s still a high-stakes waiting game.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

Then I relaxed a bit; work had to be done and I would play the waiting game.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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