delaying the unavoidable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delaying the unavoidable" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing situations where an outcome is certain, but actions are taken to postpone it. Example: "He was just delaying the unavoidable; the project was doomed to fail regardless of his efforts."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In a world economy that is increasingly placing more importance on material conservation, a technique of this kind for delaying the unavoidable erosion (wear) and corrosion that materials such as the Al2O3-based refractory must face may provide an economically attractive option for contemporary engineers.

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But one has to keep in mind that this comes at the cost of delaying necessary and unavoidable structural adjustments and labor reallocation.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Michael Kearns, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, says the unavoidable delay between receiving advice and knowing whether it was any good could be problematic for Cloverpop.

MIT Technology Review

In order to assure uniformity, in light of the unavoidable delays in the state-by-state adoption process of Revised Article 8, Treasury is promulgating regulations with a limited form of preemption.

Cornell University

The time lag between our search date and publication is due to the unavoidable delay caused by the entire manuscript preparation, submission and review process.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

In practice, it is impossible to obtain perfect channel information due to noisy channel estimation and the unavoidable delay between when channel estimation is achieved and when the estimation result is used for actual transmission.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

While HTC isn't naming any specific dates (that just tends to make people rage when the unavoidable delays occur), they've confirmed to Slashgear that the four aforementioned devices will get Gingerbread, and they've offered up a pretty big window for when those updates will come: Q2.

TechCrunch

Unfortunately, we could not examine values shorter than 15 ms because of the unavoidable delay of image presentation related to the refresh rate of the screen (140 Hz, i.e. a new image every 7 ms) and to the delay of the on-line processing of eye-tracker signals.

Plosone

The unavoidable time delay in the in-vehicle networks degrades the control performance, and even deteriorates the system stability.

Neurocomputing

The design of general transfer function type controller is based on the fundamental relations under decoupling of a multivariable process, and the characterization of the unavoidable time delays and non-minimum phase zeros that are inherent in the decoupled loops.

Journal of Process Control

There is still a timing offset because of the unavoidable propagation delay between two nodes.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use this phrase to convey a sense of futility in attempting to prevent a predetermined outcome. It is suitable when discussing challenges that, despite efforts, will eventually manifest.

Common error

Avoid using this phrase when the outcome is not truly certain. Overusing it can create a fatalistic tone where other options may still exist.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delaying the unavoidable" functions as a gerund phrase, often acting as a noun or part of a larger noun phrase. It describes the action of postponing something that is destined to happen, as shown by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "delaying the unavoidable" is a gerund phrase used to describe the action of postponing something inevitable. Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically correct, although relatively rare in usage. It is suitable for neutral to formal contexts, conveying a sense of futility in preventing a predetermined outcome. Similar phrases include "postponing the inevitable" and "stalling the certain outcome". When using this phrase, be mindful of the implication of inevitability and avoid it if the outcome is not genuinely certain.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postponing the inevitable

Focuses on the act of postponing something that is certain to happen.

stalling the certain outcome

Emphasizes the act of stalling and the certainty of the result.

deferring the inescapable

A more formal alternative, using 'deferring' to suggest postponement and 'inescapable' to highlight the certainty.

procrastinating the inevitable

Highlights the act of delaying due to indecision or reluctance.

putting off the unavoidable

A simpler, more informal way of expressing the same concept.

drawing out the inevitable

Suggests making the process of something unavoidable last longer.

forestalling the inescapable

A more formal way of saying to prevent or delay something inevitable from happening.

delaying the inevitable consequence

Specifies that what is being delayed is a consequence, implying a cause-and-effect relationship.

holding off the certain conclusion

Emphasizes resisting the arrival of a certain ending.

putting off the day of reckoning

Idiomatic expression implying delaying a moment of accountability or judgment.

FAQs

How can I use "delaying the unavoidable" in a sentence?

This phrase is used to describe actions taken to postpone an inevitable outcome. For example, "The company's restructuring efforts were merely "delaying the unavoidable" bankruptcy."

What's a more formal alternative to "delaying the unavoidable"?

A more formal alternative is "deferring the inescapable", which carries a similar meaning but is better suited for academic or professional contexts.

When is it appropriate to use "delaying the unavoidable"?

It's appropriate when you want to express that an action is only temporarily postponing something that is certain to happen, despite efforts to prevent it.

What's the difference between "delaying the unavoidable" and "avoiding the unavoidable"?

"Delaying the unavoidable" implies that the event will eventually occur, while "avoiding the unavoidable" suggests an attempt to prevent it altogether, even though it might be impossible.