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
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
In an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE, the author wrote how a major sticking point of the couple's early relationship was Kennedy's reticence to introduce Bessette to his mother.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 13 May 2025
That reticence changed with Jake Guentzel’s availability.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
In an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE, the author wrote how a major sticking point of the couple's early relationship was Kennedy's reticence to introduce Bessette to his mother.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 13 May 2025
That reticence changed with Jake Guentzel’s availability.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticence
reluctance
Noun
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Perhaps what’s driving continued reluctance to cover these products for weight loss is the overall impact that GLP-1s have on employers’ pharmacy budgets.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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But that would be a huge change in direction, given his consistent reluctance to confront and punish the Kremlin so far.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reticence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticence. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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