as in hesitancy
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitation
Around here, anticipation beats hesitation every single time.
—
John Laghezza,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
At the center of KeyBanc’s hesitation is Starship, the giant reusable rocket that Musk, the CEO, has described as critical to the future of satellite deployment, deep-space exploration and, eventually, colonization of Mars.
—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
LaGore further contextualizes current hesitation toward intermodal adoption within organizational memory and operational inertia.
—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Interactions intended to feel seamless create hesitation instead.
—
Patricia Camden,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
John Laghezza,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
At the center of KeyBanc’s hesitation is Starship, the giant reusable rocket that Musk, the CEO, has described as critical to the future of satellite deployment, deep-space exploration and, eventually, colonization of Mars.
—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
LaGore further contextualizes current hesitation toward intermodal adoption within organizational memory and operational inertia.
—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Interactions intended to feel seamless create hesitation instead.
—
Patricia Camden,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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Part of it is a hesitancy to trade veterans on expiring contracts (prior to this season’s trades with Buffalo) to get picks back.
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Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.
Noun
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That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.
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Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.
Noun
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Munster’s mosquito-spraying program is once again set to take flight Tuesday after a brief pause, the town announced.
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His health problems resembled a fall down a long flight of stairs, with pauses at several landings.
Noun
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Earlier, near the Simon Bolivar International Airport — an area also heavily impacted by the quakes — residents complained of delays in resuming rescue operations.
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After having seen clients with months of delays, recently Akimoto has some clients who filed to renew their DACA protection in April and May and got their approvals within six weeks.
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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