stall

/stɔːl/ verb

Definition

› [I or T] if a process or system stalls or something stalls it, it suddenly stops developing or making progress: Japan's economic growth has stalled. Contract negotiations between management and the union have stalled again. I don't believe there was a deliberate plan to stall the process.

› [I] if someone stalls, they do not answer a question immediately or continue a discussion, in order to give themselves more time to think: "I have to look it up on my machine at home," he said stalling for time.

(Definition of stall verb from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)