as in hesitancy
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
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Recent Examples of hesitation
Still, 36-year-old Rodriguez had some hesitation about sending her son, Miliano, to public school.
—
Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
At work, courage turns hesitation into action.
—Ryan Roslansky
aneesh Raman, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Against that backdrop, other examples of European refusals and hesitations are mounting.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
My first hesitation is procedural.
—Rabba Sara Hurwitz, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
At work, courage turns hesitation into action.
—Ryan Roslansky
aneesh Raman, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Against that backdrop, other examples of European refusals and hesitations are mounting.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
My first hesitation is procedural.
—Rabba Sara Hurwitz, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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After the Veach interview ended, Schrager talked about Veach’s hesitancy.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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That hesitancy drove some of the conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shares of McCormick fell 6% in morning trading, while Unilever's stock down 4%, reflecting investors' hesitance about the mega-merger.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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That likely means there won’t be any hesitance by Stammen to use his higher-leverage relievers today and tomorrow.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps, having earlier proposed to Russia a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that the preservationist group behind the legal challenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But outside of the horror community and cult-movie devotees, there’s still ample misunderstanding about what Faces of Death really is — and that’s not likely to be remedied by the arrival of Daniel Goldhaber’s 2026 film, Faces of Death, now hitting theaters after a lengthy postproduction delay.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Diapers may use synthetic musks to create fragrances as well as plastics that contain chemicals such as phthalates and volatile organic compounds, which studies have linked to developmental delays, reproductive harm, endocrine system disruption and cancer.—
Kate Sequeira,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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