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
-
No rain should delay either the sprint race or qualifying, but race day is a different story.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
However, rocket launches can often be delayed due to poor weather or issues with the spacecraft.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
But on July 15, his aide couldn't work, so the trip was stalled.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
26 July 2025
-
As a heat wave stalls over much of the U.S., a tropical system — similar to last week’s rainmaker over Louisiana and Mississippi — is struggling to organize in the Gulf.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Yet these employment cuts can have devastating consequences on workers and cause lingering damage to the labor market at large.—
Omeed Maghzian,
Harvard Business Review,
21 July 2025
-
The kidnapping of a teen girl months earlier lingers in the background.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporize. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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