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
However, as the actress and comedian revealed in a recent conversation with VIBE, the transition didn’t come without its hesitations, moments of deep self-reflection, and, unfortunately, backlash from the public.
—
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
For those of us who popped lenses out of our cheap Wayfarers to mimic Skrillex’s frames or painted our faces in glitter well before Euphoria, there may be some hesitation to relive the era.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
The same vaccine hesitation that has fueled the measles outbreaks could also be contributing the resurgence of other infectious, vaccine-preventable and mitigated diseases that have previously been eliminated from or heavily controlled in the U.S.
Data: How did the measles outbreak spread?
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s.
—Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
For those of us who popped lenses out of our cheap Wayfarers to mimic Skrillex’s frames or painted our faces in glitter well before Euphoria, there may be some hesitation to relive the era.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
The same vaccine hesitation that has fueled the measles outbreaks could also be contributing the resurgence of other infectious, vaccine-preventable and mitigated diseases that have previously been eliminated from or heavily controlled in the U.S.
Data: How did the measles outbreak spread?
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s.
—Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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But a broader cultural hesitancy about the technology’s implications meant that, once OpenAI made its breakthrough, Altman—its C.E.O.—came to be seen not only as a fiduciary steward but also as an ethical one.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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Many of their star performers were overworked, in part due to poor feedback loops with leadership, lack of strong team communication and an overall hesitancy to name workload imbalances.—
Woodrie Burich,
Forbes.com,
16 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
Noun
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After months of delays, a resentencing hearing to determine whether the Menendez brothers should be released from prison after serving more than three decades is set to begin Tuesday.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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From surging demand to ransomware attacks on key suppliers, disruptions can strike without warning—causing production delays, revenue losses and reputational damage.—
Max Silber,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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