string along en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, transitive) To keep somebody falsely believing that one has certain intentions.
What irks is the DfT's response of stringing the industry along. Far better would be for the DfT to say: "No, we are not upgrading this or that part of the railway - we must make the best of what we have."
2021 May 5, Philip Haigh, “I think we need better than this from the rail industry”, in RAIL, number 930, page 51:She's been telling me for ages that she wants to meet up, but won't give me a date. I'm convinced she's stringing me along.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stringing along | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| strung along | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| strung along | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| strings along | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Translations (4)
de falsche Hoffnungen machen (to keep somebody falsely believing that one has certain intentions) · es esperanzar engañosamente (to keep somebody falsely believing that one has certain intentions) · fr mener en bateau (to keep somebody falsely believing that one has certain intentions) · de hinhalten (to keep somebody falsely believing that one has certain intentions)