as in hesitantly
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Recent Examples of haltingly
The game started to percolate here, but only haltingly.
—
Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
In O’Sullivan’s story these two come together, however haltingly at first, out of necessity for both just to go on and find a semblance of their lives without Callie.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Fiona’s neighbors get their own thin plots, broadening but not deepening the world of a show that moves haltingly towards a cliffhanger in its scant, 7-episode first season and so presumably means to continue.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
That test soon divides matter, even for a far from sensitive ear, into what reads well & what reads tamely, haltingly, jerkily, lopsidedly, top-heavily, or otherwise badly.
—Ben Yagoda, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
As the world lost its CO2 blanket over this age of mammals, though, and the world chilled, grasslands, having invented a new form of photosynthesis adapted to this drier, lower-CO2 world, haltingly but inexorably took over much of the Earth.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
It’s haltingly played, like a child plucking out the notes, to emphasize John’s deep connection to his daughter.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
Answers came haltingly, sometimes in fragments or single words.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
In O’Sullivan’s story these two come together, however haltingly at first, out of necessity for both just to go on and find a semblance of their lives without Callie.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Fiona’s neighbors get their own thin plots, broadening but not deepening the world of a show that moves haltingly towards a cliffhanger in its scant, 7-episode first season and so presumably means to continue.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
That test soon divides matter, even for a far from sensitive ear, into what reads well & what reads tamely, haltingly, jerkily, lopsidedly, top-heavily, or otherwise badly.
—Ben Yagoda, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
As the world lost its CO2 blanket over this age of mammals, though, and the world chilled, grasslands, having invented a new form of photosynthesis adapted to this drier, lower-CO2 world, haltingly but inexorably took over much of the Earth.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
It’s haltingly played, like a child plucking out the notes, to emphasize John’s deep connection to his daughter.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
Answers came haltingly, sometimes in fragments or single words.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haltingly
Adverb
-
Only the bravest walked hesitantly toward the well.—
Mery Mogollón,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The show has dipped its toe hesitantly into matters of equity and social stratification this season with mixed results.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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On Tuesday, councilmembers tentatively approved a change in the law, increasing the number of signatures from 50 to 200.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
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Finance officials are tentatively proposing the city scrap the existing policy and make no contributions during the next two fiscal years — fiscal 2027, which starts in July, and fiscal 2028 — and start making contributions in fiscal 2029.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The egrets flew more slowly, their long bodies looking dark gray against the sunset as the sky turned to a pale purple.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
-
With full results expected later this year, the era of intelligent BCI therapeutics is slowly becoming a clinical reality.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haltingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haltingly. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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