temporize in English

verb

1

avoid making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain time.

the opportunity was missed because the mayor still temporized

synonyms: equivocate, procrastinate, play for time, play a waiting game, stall, use delaying tactics, give someone the runaround, delay, hang back, prevaricate, hem and haw, tergiversate

2

temporarily adopt a particular course in order to conform to the circumstances.

their unwillingness to temporize had driven their country straight into conflict with France

verb

• equivocate, procrastinate, play for time, play a waiting game, stall, use delaying tactics, give someone the runaround, delay, hang back, prevaricate, hem and haw, tergiversate
• temporise

Use "temporize" in a sentence

1. I can't permit you to temporize any longer.

2. She would balance and temporize endlessly before reaching a decision.

3. The stalemate allowed Pyongyang to temporize untiltheendofthe Bush administration and set up a new roundofprovocation.

4. Celia had decided long ago she would never temporize on that.

5. EPA had attempted to temporize by allowing California to take " reasonable extra efforts " to comply.

6. We can find the way out of bureaucracy only when we temporize and manage well the relations between the country and the society and facilitate the progress both.

7. After one year of major activity, it lost its spirit by June 1937 and could only temporize as the European crisis grew worse and worse.