hanging fire

phrase

present participle of hang fire
as in delaying
to move or act slowly He asked his team to hang fire until he was ready.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging fire
  1. marking time
  2. falling behind
Phrase
  • The moon represents creation and destruction, rebirth, eternity, the feminine, time, marking time, mystery, the night, and secrets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of marking time
Phrase
  • The Broncos’ defense forced the Ducks to turn over the ball on downs twice, and the offense answered nearly every time Oregon could have pulled away — tying the score at 24-24 and 27-27 after falling behind in the second half.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026
  • After falling behind 14-13 with 37 seconds left, Georgia Tech drove to the Colorado 27-yard line.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of falling behind
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hanging back
hanging fire
hanging in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hanging fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20fire. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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