Wiktionary
play for time
vb. (lb en idiomatic) To delay a situation until one is prepared.
Usage examples of "play for time".
The Great Lord is in a great mental jam and his only solution is to play for time.
Tarna took a deep breath, fingering the bright red stole again, but now it seemed more in regret than to play for time.
What he's telling us is that he's prepared to delay them, play for time, until we decide exactly what we're going to do.
Tracy had little magic, but it was to his advantage to play for time.