play for time爭取時間。play for time特別指「以拖延的手段爭取時間"。play在這裡有「處理」
或「應付」的意思，例如，I played the situation carefully.（我小心地處理這個局面。）由於這個習語有拖延之意，所以也可以用stall for time代替。
看看老外聊天時怎麼用play for time：
Rita: The assignment is due next week.
Can you meet the deadline?
Sean: Hardly. I'm afraid I' ll have to play for time.
Rita: What's your plan? It's not easy to fool our supervisor.
Sean: I won't fool anyone. I'm thinking about getting some help Rita: You can ask Tim. He's pretty good at statistics.
麗塔：這項任務下周就得完成，你趕得上截止日期嗎？
肖恩：不太可能，我想我必須爭取時間。
麗塔：你有什麼計劃？要騙我們的主管可沒那麼容易。
肖恩：我才沒有要騙人，我是想找幫手。
麗塔：你可以問蒂姆，他很擅長統計。
play for time例句精選：
The president's decision is being seen as an attempt to play for time.
總統的決定被視為試圖爭取時間而故意拖延。
If we play for time on this contract, we may get a better price.
如果我們把這個合同拖一拖，我們就可能得到一個更好的價錢。
We'll have to play for time.
我們得拖延時間。
Some in the high command think they can still play for time.
有些位高權重的人則認為他們還有時間。
拓展學習：
temporize 拖延以爭取時間；迎合潮流
withhold 阻擋；抑制
balk 妨礙
buy time 以拖延的方式爭取時間
hold over 留住
put off 拖延
rein in使放慢