1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.
—
Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.
—Sumit Johar, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
An unclear future given continuing cuts and hesitancy Facing these headwinds, things got much worse in March when Kennedy’s health department canceled billions of dollars in state and local funding.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
An unclear future given continuing cuts and hesitancy Facing these head winds, things got much worse in March when Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services canceled billions of dollars in state and local funding.
—Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.
—Sumit Johar, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
An unclear future given continuing cuts and hesitancy Facing these headwinds, things got much worse in March when Kennedy’s health department canceled billions of dollars in state and local funding.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
An unclear future given continuing cuts and hesitancy Facing these head winds, things got much worse in March when Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services canceled billions of dollars in state and local funding.
—Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
His unwise challenge of an Evander Kane goal in Game 3 started the deluge, and the combination of his reluctance to use the guys at the end of his bench and a prevent defense mentality certainly didn’t help as the Oilers consistently outplayed the Kings in the third period and beyond.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
10 May 2025
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Something that continues to concern Penn, known for his stellar performances in films such as Milk, Mystic River, Taps, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is the current threats to journalism and the media and some’s reluctance or fear to speak truth to power.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
Noun
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As the fintech industry recalibrates—shifting from growth-at-all-costs to sustainable, focused models—leaders like Ferris are proving that clarity beats chaos, and conviction beats hesitation.—
Nicole Casperson,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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Part of the hesitation expressed by business centers on understanding how the tariffs will affect consumers’ view of the economy.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
9 May 2025
Noun
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This hesitance only reinforces the false narrative that race is a divisive topic rather than an integral part of understanding American society.—
Anne Tapp Jaksa,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
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The war plans group chat uncovered by a journalist at The Atlantic exposed some daylight between Vice President Vance and others in the administration, showing Vance’s hesitance about launching a military strike that President Trump has hailed this week as necessary and successful.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Then, the White House announced that the U.S. and China have agreed to a 90 day pause in their trade war.—
David Hebert,
National Review,
16 May 2025
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However, since then, Donald Trump has initiated a 90-day pause in the U.S.-China tariff conflict, reducing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China has lowered its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports from 125% to 10% .—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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