[play] hard to get

to act as though one is not interested in another person's romantic or sexual advances in order to increase their interest or desire

The idiom "play hard to get" originates from the world of dating and relationships. It is based on the observation that people are often more attracted to those who seem less available or not as interested. It is used to refer to someone who adopts a deliberate approach of appearing uninterested or less accessible to someone who is expressing romantic or sexual interest. This strategy aims to create an element of challenge or pursuit, with the belief that it can increase the other person's desire or interest.

Alice enjoyed the attention she received from Michael, so she decided to play hard to get to keep him interested and maintain a sense of mystery.
Mark found Mary attractive, but she played hard to get by not responding to his messages right away and keeping him guessing about her feelings.
Sarah decided to play hard to get when John asked her out on a date.She didn't want to appear too eager.
Alex liked the challenge of pursuing someone who played hard to get, as it made the chase more exciting.
When Mark met Emily, she seemed uninterested, but he soon realized she was playing hard to get to see how persistent he would be.

to not easily give a person something that they need or want from one

The idiom "playing hard to get" originates from the world of dating and relationships. Its precise origin is challenging to pinpoint, but it has been in use since at least the early 20th century. This expression can be used in everyday scenarios when someone is reluctant to provide or share something. It implies a level of resistance or hesitation in meeting another person's requests or desires, making them work or demonstrate the value of what they seek.

Developers queued up to buy the property in 1995 but Turner played hard to get, waiting for better offers.
Only a few days ago, the Social Democrats were playing hard to get as the CDU tried to get them into coalition talks.
The candidate played hard to get during the job interview, not immediately accepting the offer, which made the employer appreciate their qualifications even more.
The seller played hard to get with potential buyers, initially rejecting offers below the asking price, leading to a higher final selling price.
When Mark asked John for a favor, John played hard to get, wanting to see how important the favor was to Mark before agreeing to help.