hem and haw

phrase

chiefly US, informal

1

: to stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something

The question surprised her and she hemmed and hawed a bit before answering.

2

: to take a long time before making a decision about what to do

The city council hemmed and hawed for a year before deciding to build the new school.

Examples of hem and haw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Florida Panthers’ veteran head coach usually hems and haws his way around immediate injury updates after a game. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026

To its credit, the rodeo didn’t hem and haw around debating optics. — Joy Sewing, Houston Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2026

That's a lot of hemming and hawing, a lot of second- and triple-guessing, and a bevy of rewatches to gauge the worthiness of being part of a historically significant canon. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026

But more likely, you hem and haw for a bit, and then turn the attention to lesser names. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026

Rhymes for hem and haw

• allantois
• baccarat
• chickasaw
• mackinaw
• overawe
• oversaw
• quebecois
• yojana
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw