1
as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delayed
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallied
Verb
-
Asked if this was a statement game, Dahlin hesitated.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026 -
While competitors hesitated, Tesla built data depth and operational learning that now underpin its long-term advantage.—
Matthew C. Meade,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Developer Omega Force and publisher Koei Tecmo announced that it has been delayed to an unspecified date.—
George Yang,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
If lawmakers fail to reach a bipartisan compromise on ICE funding, the agency’s annual funding will be delayed.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
A certain perception of Arsenal’s mental frailties persists, as if this is not just the same team that faltered in the final stages in 2022-23 but the same one that habitually cracked under pressure in the later years of Wenger’s tenure.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
David McNair, executive director of ONE Data, told Semafor the drop in lending reflected a period in which China’s economy faltered and its priorities shifted.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around her, dozens of community members lingered along the street with coffee handed out by volunteers, hugging old friends, calling out familiar names and answering a steady chorus of car horns with cheers and applause as students made their way toward campus, backpacks slung over their shoulders.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
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In Nashville, Tennessee, where nearly 100,000 power outages lingered early Wednesday, high temperatures were to rise just above freezing before plunging to 13 Fahrenheit overnight.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company pulled the plug on its Cruise robotaxi business in 2024 in the wake of a high-profile incident in which a San Francisco pedestrian was dragged under the car.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The stretch is just short of New York City’s record cold stretch, which dragged on for 16 days.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mergers have crawled since 2021 and were finally expected to rebound last year.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The young man belly-crawled on the ice to reach the panicked dog and pulled the animal out of the water, according to the outlet.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During the winter storm, the department’s official X account went viral for a series of self-aware, tongue-in-cheek posts that poked fun at drivers, the weather and even the officers themselves.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
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Hadn’t poked my nose in anywhere, hadn’t seen anything, and just really enjoyed watching the film.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallied. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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