as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
after a moment's wavering, she accepted his proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
he's still wavering about whether to take the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faltering
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the steel tower wavered for a moment before falling over
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in irresolute
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wavering
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The court ruling, the NTP report and the wavering stance of federal agencies have empowered a backlash to fluoridation in state and local governments.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
Chief among those hurdles this year, Eskelund said, is a wavering Chinese economy that has struggled to mount a robust rebound since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Those wavering signals reflect the divisions within the Fed.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Wendy senses Lizzo’s wavering confidence.
—Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
That’s particularly true at a time of economic volatility and wavering consumer sentiment.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
For the first time, his façade is wavering before Estelle’s eyes.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Record-shattering heat, billion-dollar storms and rising seas are unfolding as political pushback, misinformation and wavering international agreements threaten to stall climate progress.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Daniels worked day and night to address the needs of hundreds of families and parishioners, never wavering in his efforts to be a symbol of hope.
—Sophia Tiedge, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet Harry appears to be wavering.
—Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Thank you forever, my love, for never wavering when the inevitable storms arise on our voyage together.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Putin emerged from Beijing’s bonhomie last week – discussing immortality with his main bankroller, President Xi Jinping, and sharing his limo with wavering US ally, Indian leader Narendra Modi – aware that China wanted to parade its own bloc, unbowed.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Industry leaders such as Denmark’s Orsted, Siemens Gamesa, and General Electric have been squeezed by rising component prices, high interest rates, and wavering government support.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Nix’s locker room, though, has no wavering faith in their young leader, as right tackle Mike McGlinchey emphasized.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The court ruling, the NTP report and the wavering stance of federal agencies have empowered a backlash to fluoridation in state and local governments.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
Chief among those hurdles this year, Eskelund said, is a wavering Chinese economy that has struggled to mount a robust rebound since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Those wavering signals reflect the divisions within the Fed.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Wendy senses Lizzo’s wavering confidence.
—Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
That’s particularly true at a time of economic volatility and wavering consumer sentiment.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
In June, Tehran paid the price for wavering, and the United States, for the first time in the nuclear era, struck the nuclear facilities of another state.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Between tariff policy back-and-forths, supplier negotiations, and wavering consumer demand, retailers’ pricing has been in flux.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
For the first time, his façade is wavering before Estelle’s eyes.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Record-shattering heat, billion-dollar storms and rising seas are unfolding as political pushback, misinformation and wavering international agreements threaten to stall climate progress.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Daniels worked day and night to address the needs of hundreds of families and parishioners, never wavering in his efforts to be a symbol of hope.
—Sophia Tiedge, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet Harry appears to be wavering.
—Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Thank you forever, my love, for never wavering when the inevitable storms arise on our voyage together.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Putin emerged from Beijing’s bonhomie last week – discussing immortality with his main bankroller, President Xi Jinping, and sharing his limo with wavering US ally, Indian leader Narendra Modi – aware that China wanted to parade its own bloc, unbowed.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Industry leaders such as Denmark’s Orsted, Siemens Gamesa, and General Electric have been squeezed by rising component prices, high interest rates, and wavering government support.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wavering
Noun
-
But even if the cultural hesitation fades, there are a few hurdles unique to building platonic bonds online.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
26 Sep. 2025
-
That moment of hesitation often makes the difference between staying safe and becoming a victim.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even all-world corner Pat Surtain II didn’t have his best day, with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones not hesitating to go after him on routes over the middle.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
-
As adults, this pattern can look like hesitating to ask for help, avoiding vulnerability or keeping emotional struggles private, even from those closest to you.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Lions moved to 2-1, while the Ravens are now 1-2 after faltering late in this game.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Educational research shows that spoken practice strengthens memory and reduces hesitancy more effectively than passive drills, which is why Airlearn places conversation at the core of its design.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Experts say women who are unsure should talk with their health care provider about their individual breast cancer risk and the potential benefits and drawbacks of different screening methods.—
Dr. Megha Gupta,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Another 31 percent remain unsure or sympathize equally with both.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Only a few dozen have been directly imaged; the vast majority have been detected indirectly, primarily through the transit method (when a planet moves across a star and slightly dims its light) or radial velocity measurements (stars wobbling slightly because a planet is in orbit).—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Jurors saw some wobbling footage that appeared to be taken from inside a bush, though prosecutors did not explicitly make clear if the footage was taken from Routh's perch.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wavering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wavering. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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