to delay / abduct
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to delay
To intentionally or unintentionally delay or drag something out so that it takes longer than necessary.
Die Opposition wirft der Regierung vor, die Reform zu verschleppen.
The opposition accuses the government of delaying the reform.
'Verschleppen' (to delay / abduct) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' always remains attached to the stem 'schleppen' (to drag / haul), even in a main clause.
Er verschleppte die Entscheidung wochenlang.
He delayed the decision for weeks.
The meaning can be recognized well from the object. If it is a process or task, 'verzögern' (to delay) is meant. If the object is a person, it means 'entführen' (to abduct / kidnap). If the object is an illness, it refers to not recovering from it properly.
Er versuchte, den Beginn des Meetings zu verschleppen.
He tried to delay the start of the meeting.
In the meaning 'verzögern' (to delay), the verb is often used with abstract nouns from politics and administration, for example 'einen Prozess verschleppen' (to delay a process), 'eine Reform verschleppen' (to delay a reform), or 'eine Antwort verschleppen' (to delay an answer).
Die Bürokratie hat den Bau des neuen Kindergartens um Monate verschleppt.
The bureaucracy delayed the construction of the new kindergarten by months.
The third meaning is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'eine Krankheit verschleppen' (to neglect an illness / fail to recover properly from an illness). It is a very common and important collocation related to health.
Wer eine Lungenentzündung verschleppt, riskiert schwere gesundheitliche Folgen.
Anyone who neglects pneumonia risks serious health consequences.
to postpone / move / fence
'verschieben' and 'verschleppen' can both mean that something continues later or more slowly. 'verschieben' is usually neutral and planned: an appointment or task is moved to a later time. 'verschleppen', by contrast, sounds negative. It means that something takes unnecessarily long or is intentionally not dealt with properly. The words can be confused because both describe a delay in time. 'Verschieben' fits a new plan, while 'verschleppen' fits a problem that is left unresolved for too long.
Die Behörde verschleppt die Entscheidung seit Monaten.
The authorities have been dragging out the decision for months.
Mein Nachbar verschiebt die Reparatur auf nächste Woche.
My neighbor is postponing the repair until next week.