as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
in Congress there was a lot of fence-sitting, with many representatives waiting to see which way the political wind was blowing
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Recent Examples of fence-sitting
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.
—
Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Given the close nature of the race, these fence-sitting voters could play a crucial role in determining who will become the next president.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Given the close nature of the race, these fence-sitting voters could play a crucial role in determining who will become the next president.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fence-sitting
Noun
-
As the title suggests, its cast was entirely composed of couples in which one party was ready to get hitched, and the other had hesitations.—
James Factora,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
-
However, lofty goals often lead to significant hesitation or avoidance.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christine, 53, now tells PEOPLE about her hesitancy to return to the series that made her family household names.—
Dory Jackson,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The funding pause leaves many new homeowners in high-flood risk areas scrambling for protection and could halt the processing of current damage claims.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Contrast that with Robert Lewandowski, whose stutter, pause, judder, wait for the ’keeper to dive and then place it wide of the post didn’t work for Barcelona during their surprise defeat away to Sevilla a few hours later.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Fence-sitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fence-sitting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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