temporises

He who temporises with his conscience is already lost.

Records of a Family of Engineers 1912

There was a feverish colour in her face; she spoke rapidly, like one who temporises, trying to convince others and over-ride the inward voice; her slender hands were restless on his shoulders, her eyes lowered, avoiding his.

The Danger Mark A. B. [Illustrator] Wenzell 1899

Appreciating the difficulty of directly refusing without discourtesy, he temporises and appears to fall in with her suggestion that he shall announce their engagement to

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, February 16, 1916 Various 1898

If the original of the caricature remonstrates, the happy wife sweetly temporises and insists that it remain, because "Tom is so fond of it," and says, "it looks just like her."

The Spinster Book Myrtle Reed 1892

Austria cannot and will not help us, Italy temporises in reply to our advances, says neither 'yes' nor 'no,' and seeks an opportunity of allying herself with France and wresting the remainder of the Italian territories from Austria and of aggrandising herself at the expense of our colonies.

The Coming Conquest of England August Niemann 1879

He who temporises with his conscience is already lost.

Records of a Family of Engineers Robert Louis Stevenson 1872

"All right, when the senior Colonel here temporises with the enemy!"

Fix Bay'nets The Regiment in the Hills George Manville Fenn 1870

The fear is that, as the regime of Hosni Mubarak temporises and backslides, the talks will in fact bodge together a "peaceful transition" from one military strongman to another.

The Economist: Correspondent's diary 2011

She temporises with him; invites him to sup with her; plies him with wine, induces him to throw the ring into a corner of the room, pretending to be afraid of the demon who is held captive in it; and when he has become insensible (in plain English, dead drunk), she seizes the ring, summons the genie, and commands him to secure the vazÝr and bring back her father and husband, which he does "in less than no time."

Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855