as in to delay
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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Recent Examples of temporize
Romney's Cass took Obama to task for opposing development of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and for temporizing on the Keystone pipeline, while Obama's Aldy accused Romney of being insensitive to the environment and to the needs and desires of future generations.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2012
Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022
Even groups long noted for opposing nuclear power, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club, seem quietly ready to temporize on practical matters, such as allowing existing plants to continue as transitional energy sources.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 4 Jan. 2022
But in the aftermath of the Georgia victories, which gave their party control of the Senate, congressional Democrats were in no mood to temporize.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2021
Otherwise, the overriding temptation will be to delay, to temporize.
—Noam Cohen, WIRED, 18 July 2019
Successive political generations of leaders of nuclear powers have temporized impotently or even mischievously assisted these elements, as Pakistan has assisted Iran and North Korea, who have assisted each other.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 21 Sep. 2017
This is a president who, when Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his people, did not temporize.
—Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 5 July 2017
IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2012
Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022
Even groups long noted for opposing nuclear power, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club, seem quietly ready to temporize on practical matters, such as allowing existing plants to continue as transitional energy sources.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 4 Jan. 2022
But in the aftermath of the Georgia victories, which gave their party control of the Senate, congressional Democrats were in no mood to temporize.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2021
Otherwise, the overriding temptation will be to delay, to temporize.
—Noam Cohen, WIRED, 18 July 2019
Successive political generations of leaders of nuclear powers have temporized impotently or even mischievously assisted these elements, as Pakistan has assisted Iran and North Korea, who have assisted each other.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 21 Sep. 2017
This is a president who, when Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his people, did not temporize.
—Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 5 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporize
Verb
-
Overall, domestic revenue for the weekend is estimated to come in at $53 million, per Comscore, one of the lowest Oscar weekends in at least a decade (excluding 2021, when the awards show was delayed and theaters were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic).—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Plans for the show — which was originally announced in 2020 and then delayed to 2024 — have officially been cancelled, as the studio abandons creating original longform content for streaming.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Trump has expressed support for ending the practice, but recent efforts to do so have stalled, and only two states—Hawaii and most of Arizona—don’t participate in Daylight Saving Time.—
Chantelle Lee,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
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Legislative reinforcement will be critical in ensuring that regulatory reform does not stall at the finish line.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr.,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Conclave’s journey mirrored the plot of the film: The papal drama lingered quietly in the background as other contenders got tarred by one scandal or another, then came on late by winning at BAFTA and SAG.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, healthcare costs are climbing, inflation lingers above pre-pandemic levels, and despite some dips, over longer periods of time, life expectancy continues to rise.—
Mike Vietri,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporize. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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