hinhalten

to stall, to put someone off

verb HIN-hal-ten Rare

Also means

to hold out towards someone

Usage Note

Hinhalten in a communicative sense means to keep someone waiting with vague promises or evasive answers — jemanden hinhalten implies deliberate procrastination through words, a favourite in bureaucratic or romantic contexts.

Examples

"Er hatte sie monatelang mit leeren Versprechungen hingehalten."

Natural Translation

He had been putting her off with empty promises for months.

Literal Translation

He had her for months with empty promises held-out.

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