stall

When a person stalls, he or she tries to delay something from happening. Sometimes the verb "stall" is similar to "stop."

• The project has stalled because the company doesn’t have enough money to continue it.
• You can tell he’s just stalling for time.
• My car stalled on the way to work, so I left it by the side of the highway and called my wife to pick me up.
• Cindy has to stop stalling and make a decision. (In this sentence, "stall" is used as a gerund: "stalling.")
• Come on, stop stalling! ("Stop stalling," is a command. You want someone to make a decision or do something.)

November 19, 2011