Phrase guide

buy time

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • We need you to buy us some time, so distract the security guard for a few minutes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gain time, play for time

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

act so as to delay an event or action in order to gain an advantage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: delay, detain, hold up

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 爭取時間 /争取时间 (zhēngqǔ shíjiān) — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Dutch: tijd winnen — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Dutch: tijd rekken — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Finnish: pelata aikaa — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Finnish: viivytellä — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • French: gagner du temps — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • French: jouer la montre — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • French: temporiser — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • German: Zeit gewinnen — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Hungarian: húzza az időt — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Italian: guadagnare tempo — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Japanese: 時間を稼ぐ (jikan o kasegu) — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Japanese: 時を稼ぐ (toki wo kasegu) — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Polish: grać na zwłokę — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Portuguese: ganhar tempo — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Romanian: cumpăra timp — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Russian: вы́играть вре́мя (výigratʹ vrémja) — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Spanish: ganar tiempo — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Thai: ซื้อเวลา (sʉ́ʉ-wee-laa) — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Turkish: vakit kazanmak — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Turkish: zaman kazanmak — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else
  • Vietnamese: câu giờ — purposefully cause a delay, in order to achieve something else