the.com/waiting game

means A strategy of deliberately delaying action, letting time, patience, or an opponent's impatience work in your favor.

from A straightforward compound of 'waiting' and 'game' — 'game' here meaning a contest or strategy rather than play. It shows up in English as a recognized phrase by the 19th century, often in sporting and political contexts, describing a competitor who holds back rather than acts, betting that patience itself is a move. No hidden story here — the phrase means almost exactly what it says, which is itself a little funny for a dictionary entry.