This is the 11958th most frequent Russian word.
затягивали
"Затягивали" means "were dragging out" or "were delaying."
Here, 'затягивали' is used to describe the act of pulling something to a location, specifically boats being dragged ashore.
В старину люди затягивали лодки на берег с помощью верёвок.
In olden times, people dragged boats ashore using ropes.
In this case, 'затягивали' refers to the intentional delay or extension of a process or task.
Рабочие затягивали выполнение проекта, чтобы получить больше времени.
The workers prolonged the project's completion to gain more time.
Here, 'затягивали' is used in the context of tightening or securing something, specifically knots on a rope.