v. 1 delay, dawdle, dilly-dally, dally, loiter, linger, temporize, equivocate, hesitate, prevaricate, play for time, waste time, stonewall, be obstructive, put (someone or something) off; vacillate, dither, hedge, procrastinate; Brit haver, Colloq beat about the bush, drag one's feet, give (someone) the run-around He managed to stall for a while before handing over the money
n. 2 stalling, delay, hedge, hedging, pretext, subterfuge, wile, trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, manoeuvre, move, stonewalling, obstructionism, playing for time, procrastination, procrastinating, Colloq beating about the bush, run-around, foot-dragging Her claim that she was dressing was nothing but a stall to give her time to hide the pistol