as in stalling
formal
to avoid making a decision or giving a definite answer in order to have more time
Pressured by voters on both sides of the issue, the congressmen temporized.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporizing
Verb
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It’s been approved in several communities, including Evanston, Skokie and Oak Park, but lawsuits are stalling implementation.—
Marj Halperin,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026 -
However, many other weather models depict the front stalling out across North Texas before ever making it to San Antonio.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cold temperatures can make oil thicker, delaying its flow.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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Bazaldua has argued that the city may save money by having the WNBA team play and practice at existing facilities, as building new ones and delaying the projects increases costs.—
Myah Taylor,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Though both storms are similar — with a major storm system lingering over the region for over a day and whipping the region with merciless hurricane-level winds, driving inch after inch of wet snow — what made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its arrival.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers seems to be in pole position, but there is still Cole Palmer at Chelsea, Phil Foden at Manchester City and the lingering conundrum of how Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham fits in.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Temporizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizing. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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