Idiom
gain time
Meaning
To cause a delay by a circuitous mode of procedure in order to obtain more time than is available.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I asked a difficult question to gain time for my answer.”
“The lawyer requested a short break during the trial to gain time and review the new evidence.”
“By engaging the negotiator in a lengthy debate over minor details, the diplomat hoped to gain time for his team to finalize the secret agreement.”
Examples
simple
“I asked a difficult question to gain time for my answer.”
contextual
“The lawyer requested a short break during the trial to gain time and review the new evidence.”
complex
“By engaging the negotiator in a lengthy debate over minor details, the diplomat hoped to gain time for his team to finalize the secret agreement.”
Key words
Related idioms
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