as in faltered
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't hesitate to tell them that what they were doing was wrong and that I wanted no part of it
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Recent Examples of hesitated
The moment highlighted a shift from March, when Jeffries hesitated to endorse Schumer after a previous bipartisan funding agreement.
—
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Many establishment Democrats hesitated or declined to endorse their party's choice for mayor, and moderate-to-conservative power brokers united behind Cuomo's third-party candidacy.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
If at any point María Luisa hesitated, doubtful about the tastefulness of this colossus, those doubts vanished the moment a representative of the city council delivered a witty and audacious explanation of the arch.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Neither man hesitated to reach for the bottle.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The Nashville forward was awarded the PK after Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line and was called for a foul.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Wasefi hesitated, then started to play.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
People hesitated, unsure of how to play with something new without looking foolish.
—Cas Holman, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
At first, Sandra Campos hesitated about joining the TikTok trend taking over her feed.
—Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Many establishment Democrats hesitated or declined to endorse their party's choice for mayor, and moderate-to-conservative power brokers united behind Cuomo's third-party candidacy.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
If at any point María Luisa hesitated, doubtful about the tastefulness of this colossus, those doubts vanished the moment a representative of the city council delivered a witty and audacious explanation of the arch.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Neither man hesitated to reach for the bottle.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The Nashville forward was awarded the PK after Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line and was called for a foul.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Wasefi hesitated, then started to play.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
People hesitated, unsure of how to play with something new without looking foolish.
—Cas Holman, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
At first, Sandra Campos hesitated about joining the TikTok trend taking over her feed.
—Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitated
Verb
-
Pressed to find out exactly where the show faltered, Mangan opined that perhaps the sheer amount of talent behind the camera stopped anyone from steering this Hindenburg on course.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Ultimately, Drake’s suit faltered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Her service was never impacted, and months later, she was assigned to Annapolis and waited for a spot to open up at the Navy flight school in Pensacola, Fla.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
At one downtown Brooklyn location, the line wrapped around the building and, at times, voters waited up to an hour to cast their ballots.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitated. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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