Act with deliberate slowness, as careless free agents do (4,4,4)
I believe the answer is:
drag ones feet
'act with deliberate slowness as' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.
'careless free agents do' is the wordplay.
'careless' indicates anagramming the letters.
'free'+'agents'+'do'='freeagentsdo'
'freeagentsdo' anagrammed gives 'DRAG ONES FEET'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for drag ones feet that I've seen before include "Be reluctant" , "Slug" , "Hang back" , "Be deliberately slow to act" , "Act with reluctance" .)