HAW Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

haw

verb

Definition of haw

as in to hem

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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 haw In the midst of it all, young children decked out in Algerian gear hemmed and hawed at their idols. — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026 Still, this is 10 straight minutes of absolute peppering, and 10 minutes of hemming and hawing from Schefter. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2026 People with an instinct for action are those who jump in and tackle things head-on, rather than hemming and hawing about it. — Kate Morgan, Forbes.com, 11 Mar. 2026 Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies, who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026 Barring America losing a war or experiencing a crushing economic depression, one imagines that even the anti-Trump candidates will again be doing the hemming and hawing that made so many of the 2024 versions so ineffective. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 18 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for haw

Verb

Wedding dress bustles easily hem a train after the ceremony so a bride can seamlessly move among guests and dance into the night.

— Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Rather than chasing one elusive number at a time, mathematicians study how these Ramsey numbers grow as the graphs become larger—and how to hem them in.

— Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 15 July 2026

Definition of hem

Verb

The ones who hesitate, or answer in generalities about market opportunity, are usually the ones where the practice has drifted furthest from its original purpose.

— Peter Doyle, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Many people would have hesitated before taking them on as tenants, housemates, or clients.

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

The nine-seat counter area is often full on both weekdays and weekends, and customers sometimes wait 1 1/2 hours to be seated during peak hours, the shop said.

— Masayuki Oi Japan News, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
The implants use passive electronic components that consume essentially no power while waiting for a signal.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of wait

Browse Nearby Words

havocs

haw

hawed

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“Haw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haw. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of haw

verb

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