as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the president was soundly criticized for his vacillation before responding to the crisis
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Recent Examples of vacillation
After a whirlwind romance and much theatrical vacillation, Lowell abandoned Hardwick to join Blackwood in London in 1970, a move that would forever mark her as the other woman to Hardwick’s many passionate partisans.
—
Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
The vacillation between tragic and comic set pieces does justice to neither.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
The vacillation between tragic and comic set pieces does justice to neither.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillation
Noun
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After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s.—
Charles Beames,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
This time around, there’s no hesitation for Larsson.—
Tiana DeNicola,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Some critics have blamed the arguments Kennedy has advanced for increasing hesitancy to get vaccines and allowing the disease to spread to its current outbreak, causing the first deaths from the disease since 2015.—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
1 May 2025
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Pitching owners to invest in an unproven concept is often met with hesitancy.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The war plans group chat uncovered by a journalist at The Atlantic exposed some daylight between Vice President Vance and others in the administration, showing Vance’s hesitance about launching a military strike that President Trump has hailed this week as necessary and successful.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
29 Mar. 2025
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This often shows up in subtle ways: a reluctance to apply for promotions, a hesitance to speak up in high-stakes meetings, or discomfort in presenting a polished resume or LinkedIn profile.—
Amanda Miller Littlejohn,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And sometimes, a pause that lingers a moment longer than expected can speak louder than any update.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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Join 87 others in the comments View Comments The survey was conducted from April 17 to 24, after the White House first announced expansive new tariffs on dozens of countries, and then called a pause on many of them.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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