as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the publisher's reticence to make content available online for free
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Recent Examples of reticence
Heath Ledger, speaking in a muffled drawl, showed you that a performance could be repressed and transcendent at the same time; his reticence broke your heart.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2025
So her reticence starts out appropriate, but when the dynamics escalate between Annie and Jon, Beatty remains much the same: on guard, with tight shoulders and wide eyes.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2025
For businesses, the priority should be on ensuring that policymakers fully understand and respond to the sources of doubt and reticence.
—Amanda Tickel, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Yet two years after the team was quick to lock up quarterback Joe Burrow to a long-term contract extension in 2023, its reticence to hand a similarly lucrative extension to edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, despite leading the NFL in sacks last season, has led to an offseason standoff.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2025
So her reticence starts out appropriate, but when the dynamics escalate between Annie and Jon, Beatty remains much the same: on guard, with tight shoulders and wide eyes.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2025
For businesses, the priority should be on ensuring that policymakers fully understand and respond to the sources of doubt and reticence.
—Amanda Tickel, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Yet two years after the team was quick to lock up quarterback Joe Burrow to a long-term contract extension in 2023, its reticence to hand a similarly lucrative extension to edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, despite leading the NFL in sacks last season, has led to an offseason standoff.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticence
reluctance
Noun
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Other key party leaders, such as Gov. Hochul, continue to express reluctance about Mamdani.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
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Trump's comments mark his latest criticism of Putin for his reluctance to agree to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire and for Moscow's continuing bombardment of Ukraine.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reticence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticence. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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