gain time

idiom

: to cause something to be delayed so that more time is available to do what is needed
His lawyers are delaying the trial to gain time to prepare their defense.

Examples of gain time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At a minimum, hitting the brakes enabled officials in developing countries to assess the situation and gain time to come up with more nuanced approaches. Robert Malley, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2020 And as both sides continue to quarrel, ISIS will gain time and space to continue its global machinations. Aaron David Miller and jason Brodsky, Foreign Affairs, 13 Jan. 2016 Using automation to gain time to grow the right way and hire the right people is a system that feeds into itself. Veronica Buitron, Forbes, 12 July 2022 Today, the new program’s participants learn about including systems, automation and people into their daily operations, but also how to change one’s mindset, keep up with technology, gain time management skills and learn how to balance a day job and a business. Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2023 Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan apologized again late Tuesday in a video posted by Southwest, saying the company reduced its schedule to gain time to reposition aircraft and crews. Ryan Beene, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2022 McCarthy understands that there will be pressure and back peddles to gain time to make the throw. Lance Reisland, cleveland, 1 Dec. 2022 By taking up more easily defensible positions, Russia could also gain time to absorb the 300,000 men recently mobilized to shore up its faltering campaign, analysts said. Isabel Coles, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2022 Inmates may receive gain time based on factors such as their behavior and taking part in work and programs. Jim Saunders, Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gain time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near gain time

Cite this Entry

“Gain time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gain%20time. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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