MARKING TIME Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

marking time

phrase

present participle of mark time

as in delaying

to move or act slowly The soldiers marked time until they were given the signal to move forward.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of marking time All the same, Adelaide believed in the importance of marking time. — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026 The moon represents creation and destruction, rebirth, eternity, the feminine, time, marking time, mystery, the night, and secrets. — Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for marking time

falling behind

Phrase

Yet the proportion of Americans struggling with high debt payments and falling behind on their debt payments jumped, a sign of the toll that sharply higher inflation has taken on lower-income Americans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Lose World Series in five to the Dodgers in ’24 after falling behind 3-0.

— Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling behind

Browse Nearby Words

marking (off)

marking time

marking up

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“Marking time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marking%20time. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of marking time

phrase

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