hesitated

verb

past tense of hesitate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 hesitated Valkyria hesitated for a split second and Bayley took advantage. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Defenders hesitated between hedging and switching, allowing screeners to slip toward the rim. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 2026 While its lawyers have not hesitated to send cease-and-desist letters to AI companies, Disney is among the big media companies looking for ways to get in the AI game and profit from its boom. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 Teammates excitedly jumped off the bench, then hesitated when Thiero’s right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under him. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Fisher hesitated to say at what reservoir storage threshold the utility would consider lifting watering restrictions. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Montgomery hesitated in front of Lee before cutting inside to leave Lee one-on-one with a defender streaking toward the end zone. — Pj Green september 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026 The governor, however, has not hesitated to draw an unpopular president into the campaign. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026 Many people would have hesitated before taking them on as tenants, housemates, or clients. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitated
  1. faltered
  2. waited
Verb
  • When that reboot faltered, climaxing in a nightmarish season-14 finale, RHONY got another, softer reboot in the form of all but three cast members being fired.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Initially, local and state leaders considered a relocation plan for some homes and businesses that would get people out of harm’s way, but the project faltered.
    — Cengiz Yar, ProPublica, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of faltered
Verb
  • The attack in Komyshuvakha, near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, struck as residents waited for humanitarian aid.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • One would be forgiven for assuming that, as a friend of his joked, Carrère had waited to visit the country until a member of his family was running it.
    — Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of waited

Browse Nearby Words

hesitate
hesitated
hesitates
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Cite this Entry

“Hesitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitated. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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