Breadcrumbing
Etymology
From the trail of breadcrumbs — the image of a path marked by scattered morsels, familiar from the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. In 2010s dating slang it came to mean leaving a trail just enticing enough to follow but leading nowhere. The crumbs are a substitute for the actual meal of a relationship.
noun · /BRED-krum-ing/
Stringing someone along with just enough sporadic attention — a like, a flirty text, a vague plan — to keep them interested without any real intention of committing.
What it names
It gives a name to a manipulation that feels too small to complain about, each crumb deniable on its own, which is exactly why having the word makes the pattern visible.
Example
She realized she was being breadcrumbed when his only messages arrived at midnight and never went anywhere.
Related idea
Orbiting is watching someone’s posts without contacting them at all; breadcrumbing involves active, if minimal, contact designed to keep hope alive.