as in unwillingness
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reluctance
In Season 4, the challenges don’t quite stack up, and there’s a reluctance on the creators’ part to really sink their teeth into the whirlwind of producing late-night TV.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
To this point, the MIT study found that 90% of workers still prefer humans for mission-critical work, a clear reluctance to dive into the deep end.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The trial lasted more than a month and included dozens of witnesses, some of whom admitted to reluctance or fear of complying with the police investigation.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Statistically, that reluctance is clear.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
To this point, the MIT study found that 90% of workers still prefer humans for mission-critical work, a clear reluctance to dive into the deep end.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The trial lasted more than a month and included dozens of witnesses, some of whom admitted to reluctance or fear of complying with the police investigation.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Statistically, that reluctance is clear.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
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Consequently, while the consideration of parental gun behaviors is not entirely absent from custody decisions, its relative rarity suggests a deliberate unwillingness to link them with parental fitness considerations.—
Marcia Zug,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
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Dan Skovronsky, Lilly’s chief scientific and product officer, told USA TODAY that a weight-loss pill also should help people overcome barriers such as stigma about obesity or unwillingness to get a shot.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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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The incident is the latest example of the justices’ reticence to discuss their health, at least until the news somehow leaks.—
Mark Sherman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
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More recently, the controversial designer John Galliano used the house’s reticence as a refuge to rebuild his reputation after a series of antisemitic rants led to his ouster from French fashion monolith Dior in 2011.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 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
-
Indictments have a lower burden of proof and require only probable cause, while a trial would require prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that each defendant is culpable.—
Jason Henry,
Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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That anticipation for Season 3, premiering Sunday, still lingers for Fletcher, though it’s tempered now by doubt and distance, thanks to a four-year gap between seasons.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The same disinclination would normally apply.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Nov. 2025
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Beauty’s at-times reluctance to embrace TikTok Shop as a channel mirrors the industry’s longtime disinclination toward Amazon, an attitude that has shifted in recent years as the e-commerce giant’s beauty business has grown at an incontrovertible clip.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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