if you say that someone is sitting on something, you mean that they are delaying dealing with it(He had been sitting on the document for at least two months.collinsdictionary.com); to hold something back from being considered or acted on(collinsdictionary.com); to delay dealing with(something • I sent my application about six weeks ago and they’ve just been sitting on it.ldoceonline.com); fail to deal with(something • She sat on the article until a deadline galvanized her into putting words to paperlexico.com • There is now enormous choice in the current account market, so there is no excuse to sit on an account which is not offering the best deal. • The company is regarded as more financially capable than its rival of doing such a deal, but appears happy to sit on its holding. • I've been sitting on this story for a week or so, trying to figure out what to do with it. • Lucas has been sitting on this basic story idea for well on thirty years now, so how far wrong could he go? • I finally decided to stop sitting on things and threw out my war-torn couch today.)
to suppress; silence(They sat on the bad news as long as they couldcollinsdictionary.com); to suppress, repress, or squelch(collinsdictionary.com); suppress(something • I want this story sat onlexico.com • The press has been restrained in sitting on a story about her family. • But I find it impossible to sit on a good story, especially if there is money to be made. • No longer is it easy for a news organization to sit on a big story and publish it at a set time, when all the dust has settled. • This is by no means the only new idea that the company is sitting on, with numerous internet projects up its sleeve. • Instead, he intends to sit on his campaign for a month to give it maximum chance of success. • Only this time, he knew he was sitting on a deal he could not mention.)
subdue(someone, typically by saying something intended to make them uneasy or embarrassed • Someone should have sat on him when he was younglexico.com • He bears the imprint of whoever sits on him and the Vice-President really sat on him. • My middle son lives with his dad and is 20, but he doesn't give me the time of day, but my youngest is 5 (going on 20) and I have really sat on him hard.); to check or rebuke(I'll sit on him if he tries to interrupt me.collinsdictionary.com); to force someone to be silent or not to do something(The boss is going to sit on him to make sure he says nothing.cambridge.org)
collinsdictionary.com); to hold something back from being considered or acted on (collinsdictionary.com); to delay dealing with (something • I sent my application about six weeks ago and they’ve just been sitting on it. 