If you play a waiting game, you deal with a situation by deliberately doing nothing, because you believe you will gain an advantage by acting later, or because you are waiting to see how other people are going to act.
He's playing a waiting game. He'll hope to hang on until the pressure is off.
waiting game in British English
noun
the postponement of action or decision in order to gain the advantage
waiting game in American English
a scheme by means of which one outwits or wins out over another by delaying or postponing action until one has an advantage
Examples of 'waiting game' in a sentence
waiting game
She knew she had no choice but to listen and to play a waiting game.
Hocke, Martin THE ANCIENT AND SOLITARY REIGN (2002)
No pills seemed to have been swallowed yet, but the Captain, possibly tiring of the police's waiting game, was obviously building up to it.
Fraser, Anthea THE GOSPEL MAKERS (2002)
I was perfectly happy for her to think I was playing a waiting game.
Val McDermid KICK BACK (2002)
It was a waiting game now, a battle more of wits than weapons.