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🇨🇳Chinese Source WordCode: ZH

争取时间

Pronunciation / Transliteration: zhēngqǔ shíjiān

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Play for time/pleɪ fɔːr taɪm/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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🇨🇳 Example Sentence in Chinese:

"他试图争取时间以找到更好的解决方案。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb phrase
  1. 1

    To delay or postpone an action or decision in order to gain more time.

    "The negotiators decided to play for time while they awaited a better offer."
  2. 2

    To engage in tactics that prolong a situation without making a commitment.

    "He was just playing for time, hoping the problem would resolve itself."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from idiomatic English sports and strategic contexts from the 19th century. The verb 'play' combined with 'for time' historically referred to delaying a game when winning to let the clock run out, which eventually expanded into general tactical stalling in negotiations or conflict.

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10 Global Lexicons: How "Play for time" is said worldwide

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