Meaning of pull the football | Babel Free

Definitions

To appear to make someone a promising offer, only to withdraw it to the detriment of the other party.

US, colloquial

Examples

“[see title]”

“Instead, they took the deportation and pulled the football away on doing anything to keep immigrants in this nation.”

“But in several instances, in several places, I think we kind of pulled the football away, to use an analogy, from groups such as Southeast Asians in Queens”

““If you keep on pulling the football from when I’m kicking, eventually you’re going to get a little wary,” McCormick told CNN of his hesitation to get in line again.”

CEFR level