dithers 1 of 2

noun

plural of dither
as in huffs
a state of nervous or irritated concern Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dithers

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dither
as in hesitates
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dithers
Noun
Viewers well versed in the ways of romantic fiction won’t be that surprised by how this little pas de quatre works out as Emile dithers and deliberates over each woman’s charms. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dithers
  1. huffs
  2. hesitates
  3. sweats
  4. falters
  5. frets
  6. swelters
Noun
  • David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.
    — Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
  • As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Nov. 2025
Definition of huffs
Verb
  • If an employee hesitates or overcommits, avoid making assumptions or asking defensive questions.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Your vehicle hesitates when shifting gears A short pause or delay between pressing the gas and your car responding is an early sign of transmission trouble.
    — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitates
Noun
  • Biographers and historians have documented that Stewart suffered from severe psychological trauma, which caused digestive issues, insomnia, nightmares, shakes and sweats.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • From loungewear essentials like yoga pants and sweats to dressier picks like long-sleeve dresses and maxi skirts, there’s something on sale for everyone.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of sweats
Verb
  • The opposite political party of whichever leads the White House fares well, while the leading party falters.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026
  • American military resources are stretched and political pressure in Washington is mounting, while Iran’s economy falters.
    — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of falters
Noun
  • Khn plays a custom double-neck guitar-bass with twice the usual number of frets on each side, looping the two halves together in real time with foot pedals.
    — Josh Martin, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This machine will actually press the strings down between frets and pluck those strings in time, like a human guitarist.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of frets
Noun
  • The San Joaquin Valley swelters Temperatures could rise to nearly 110 degrees in portions of the San Joaquin Valley over the next three afternoons.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • The public safety push comes as much of France swelters under red heat alerts, with temperatures in parts of the country forecast to top 104 degrees, the AP reported.
    — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of swelters

Browse Nearby Words

dithering
dithers
dithery
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Cite this Entry

“Dithers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dithers. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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