slow-walk

verb

ˈslō-ˌwȯk 

slow-walked; slow-walking; slow-walks

transitive verb

: to delay or prevent the progress of (something) by acting in a deliberately slow manner

They can still slow-walk the confirmation process, though, stretching out the Senate's consideration for each Cabinet-level pick for days, which collectively could strangle business in the chamber for months.

—Tamar Hallerman

The suit claims the university slow-walked a formal complaint filed last December, dragging out the internal investigation until some of the accused male swimmers graduated and could no longer be punished.

—Thomas J. Prohaska

slow-walking noun

The slow-walking of processing asylum claims, and the huge backlog of cases at ports of entry, are only adding to tensions in the region.

—Roberta Jacobson and Dan Restrepo

Examples of slow-walk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Schultz also slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship. —Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025

The message Tokyo is taking away from this is to slow-walk disbursements hoping the U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump lacks the authority to shake down trading partners via tariffs. —William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Moscow continues to slow-walk a peace deal, demanding territorial concessions Kyiv will not grant. —Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 26 Aug. 2025

Gangs have increased their control of Port-au-Prince while the U.S. slow-walked its deliberations. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slow-walk

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk

Kids Definition

slow–walk

verb

: to delay or prevent the progress of (something) by acting in a deliberately slow manner