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
  • All the same, Adelaide believed in the importance of marking time.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • 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
  • But eviction often takes time, and even falling behind on rent is not necessarily an immediate concern when other bills are pressing, Schneider said.
    — John Csiszar, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The document specifically mentions AI tutors and assistance for students falling behind in the curriculum.
    — Dmytro Korchevskyi, Fortune, 24 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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