1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shilly-shallying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally
Verb
-
The man at the door didn’t hesitate.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025 -
Crew members can make recommendations, too, so don’t hesitate to ask them.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
A day earlier, flights were delayed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, New Jersey’s Newark airport and Washington’s Reagan National Airport because of air traffic controller shortages.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
His discharge has been delayed due to his father’s detention.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Neighbors expressed hesitation about the plans, citing the noise helicopters would cause, WPBF News 25 and WPTV reported.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Villa had known Elliott was available in the months before, yet the price caused hesitation.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When her movie career as an adult faltered, Lockhart shifted to television, appearing in live drama from New York and game and talk shows.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Her certainty falters as the light from the mothership dims, the last traces of the hive connection dying above them.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Place pheromone traps around your closet to capture any lingering moths.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The moon is glimmering, the veil between worlds is thin and there’s an air of mischief lingering in the shadows.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her hesitancy alone is treated as a question in need of an answer rather than a valid response to an increasingly complex choice.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
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Jennifer Lawrence opened up about her hesitancy about speaking to the press during an interview with The New Yorker published Monday.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The family—an ambivalent institution bar none—shapes us, and yet our individuality resists that shaping.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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Pillsbury was similarly ambivalent about the label.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight title defense at UFC 321 ended in chaos after Ciryl Gane accidentally poked him in both eyes late in the first round.—
Antonio Losada,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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Or use your finger, poking it about 2 inches into the soil.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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