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
-
From coordinating painting, flooring and cabinet removal to troubleshooting daily obstacles during the summer, Higman answered every call, provided solutions and never hesitated to step in, according to Filamor.—
Cyril A. Reinicke,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026 -
Allies, too, have hesitated to turn to force to reopen the strait.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Check subscriptions, compare a few price quotes, and choose quality over clutter, especially if your budget talks keep getting delayed or mixed between emails and texts.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
American Airlines is telling you why your flight is delayed.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Fland’s defense — his calling card — faltered on the decisive play.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The process of getting back to ace form lingered through the first half of the Miami Marlins’ 2025 season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Strong high atmospheric pressure, which typically doesn’t form with as much strength until late spring or early summer, lingered for a large part of the month, bringing lots of sunshine, consistently above-average temperatures and very little rainfall.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video shows Dave Tauer's truck windows being smashed by agents who dragged him from his vehicle.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, he was allowed to walk free after having already served the length of his jail sentence while the case dragged on.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.—
Ryan Morik , Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The mood inside the terminal was calm as the snaking line crawled forward.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Thorns forward poked the ball through and Ball kicked her leg into Wilson’s path, taking her down inside the box.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallied. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
