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
Since then, Matthew has driven her to breakfast every Friday without hesitation.
—
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
His party was in denial, and the hesitation cost them the general election.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Aside from his hesitations over the SNL cue cards, Holland has not shied away from live performance itself.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
SoftBank scaled back plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by the OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors, Bloomberg reported.
—Benoit Berthelot, Fortune, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
His party was in denial, and the hesitation cost them the general election.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Aside from his hesitations over the SNL cue cards, Holland has not shied away from live performance itself.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
SoftBank scaled back plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by the OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors, Bloomberg reported.
—Benoit Berthelot, Fortune, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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Smith shared, citing his and Henson’s lack of a traditional film or music training as a reason for the hesitancy.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Stepping straight into playoff hockey for the first time in his NHL career, Coghlan has played on instinct, with a surprising lack of hesitancy.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Noun
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That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
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Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
Noun
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Most recently, Warnock had criticized the pause in federal food aid known as SNAP.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2025
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Temporary national programs During major crises like the one that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government may enact short-term protections like stimulus payments or collection pauses to help borrowers who cannot meet their payment obligations.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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This story will be updated as more delays and closures are announced.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Dec. 2025
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The mutation can result in childhood-onset epilepsy, developmental delays and movement disorders, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.—
Vicky Nguyen,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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