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
Sarah Finnane dithered mightily before deciding on this wild wallpaper for the new powder room.
—
Gary Thompson, Midwest Living, 5 June 2026
Trump dithered, then waited until the last minute to back Paxton.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
As the authorities dithered, people across the city grew restless.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
People shouted over each other as the performers dithered over ideas and raced around the venue.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
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
Gary Thompson, Midwest Living, 5 June 2026
Trump dithered, then waited until the last minute to back Paxton.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
As the authorities dithered, people across the city grew restless.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
People shouted over each other as the performers dithered over ideas and raced around the venue.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dithered
Verb
-
Keep in mind, Andy, Woody’s first and beloved owner, wanted to keep Woody with him, even in college, and hesitated for a moment before giving him up to Bonnie in Toy Story 3.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
Instead, both hesitated, their feet tangled and a charging Healy banged in the loose ball.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
When Johnson faltered, Clark had plenty of breathing room — and a quick turnaround.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Still up seven games in the NL East, the Braves (46-27) are in an offensive funk over the past week, and the team’s good starting pitching has faltered some.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dithered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dithered. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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