foot-dragging
noun
foot-drag·ging
ˈfu̇t-ˌdra-giŋ 
: failure to act with the necessary promptness or vigor
Examples of foot-dragging in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Democrats, fed up with House Republicans' foot-dragging and temporary spending bills, agreed.
—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024
Hungary’s foot-dragging was less clear in nature with Budapest mostly venting its annoyance over Swedish criticism of the direction of democratic development under nationalist premier Orban rather than any concrete demands.
—Reuters, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024
That approach too often encouraged foot-dragging and massive resistance.
—Jonathan Entin, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2024
Toyota’s faith in democratizing hybrid technology turned the company, once an environmental darling, into a whipping boy as it was widely accused of foot-dragging over electric vehicles.
—Lawrence Ulrich, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024
Increasingly, however, local politicians are replacing their foot-dragging with searches for technical assistance.
—Catherine Osborn, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2020
But the fifth issue was a new one: Ford argued that Washington should insist that Syria end its foot-dragging on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s investigation into its nuclear activities.
—Andrew J. Tabler, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2010
Some pediatricians report feeling squeezed by demand from families and foot-dragging from insurance companies about reimbursement, forcing practices to weigh the financial burden against providing immunizations — a cornerstone of public health.
—Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
Zelensky and his aides believe that foot-dragging by some allies — including, at times, the United States — set the stage for difficulties as the nearly 4-month-old counteroffensive has unfolded in the country’s east and south.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024
Hungary’s foot-dragging was less clear in nature with Budapest mostly venting its annoyance over Swedish criticism of the direction of democratic development under nationalist premier Orban rather than any concrete demands.
—Reuters, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024
That approach too often encouraged foot-dragging and massive resistance.
—Jonathan Entin, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2024
Toyota’s faith in democratizing hybrid technology turned the company, once an environmental darling, into a whipping boy as it was widely accused of foot-dragging over electric vehicles.
—Lawrence Ulrich, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024
Increasingly, however, local politicians are replacing their foot-dragging with searches for technical assistance.
—Catherine Osborn, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2020
But the fifth issue was a new one: Ford argued that Washington should insist that Syria end its foot-dragging on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s investigation into its nuclear activities.
—Andrew J. Tabler, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2010
Some pediatricians report feeling squeezed by demand from families and foot-dragging from insurance companies about reimbursement, forcing practices to weigh the financial burden against providing immunizations — a cornerstone of public health.
—Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
Zelensky and his aides believe that foot-dragging by some allies — including, at times, the United States — set the stage for difficulties as the nearly 4-month-old counteroffensive has unfolded in the country’s east and south.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foot-dragging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near foot-dragging
Cite this Entry
“Foot-dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot-dragging. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share