as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
we dithered all afternoon over whether to go to the park or to the movies and ended up doing neither
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Recent Examples of dithered
Ao Tanaka should not have dithered and conceded the second set-piece so late into injury time, while the backline should have been more alert to the second ball.
—
Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dithered
Verb
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Upon receiving the handoff, Pacheco hesitated for a beat before faking left, juking right and breaking a tackle on the way to his longest rush of the season — a 16-yard gain on a drive that ended in a Kansas City touchdown.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
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Albin hesitated to name Wilcke the starter after the lopsided loss in Tampa, but provided clarity at Tuesday’s media availability.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The industry also plans to mix hydrogen into its existing gas utility pipeline network, but those efforts have faltered amid local opposition.—
NPR,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
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In a topsy-turvy season where AFC faves Kansas City and Baltimore have faltered, and Jacksonville and Indianapolis have been major surprises, people still want to discount Tomlin and the Black and Gold.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dithered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dithered. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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