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delay action

[dɪˈleɪ ˈækʃən]
noun/verb
ação de atraso / tática de retardamento
1. A military or tactical strategy of deliberately slowing down an advance or attack to buy time or wear down an opponent
The retreating forces adopted a delay action strategy to slow the enemy's progress.
As forças em retirada adotaram uma estratégia de retardamento para desacelerar o avanço do inimigo.
2. Any deliberate postponement or slowing of an action or process
The delay action on the contract negotiations frustrated both parties.
O retardamento nas negociações do contrato frustrou ambas as partes.
3. A fuze or mechanism designed to detonate a device after a preset time interval
The bomb was equipped with a delay action fuse.
A bomba estava equipada com um espoleta de retardo.
Synonyms
delaying actionholding actionrearguard actiontemporal delaytime-delay mechanism
Antonyms
immediate actiondirect assaultfrontal attack

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ação de retardamento / tática de atraso
Common in military contexts
São Paulo
ação de atraso
More formal/technical usage
Portugal
acção de retardamento / mecanismo de retardo
European Portuguese spelling with 'c'

Related Idioms & Phrases

buy time
hold the line
fight a delaying action
slow burn strategy
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