shilly-shallied

verb

Definition of shilly-shalliednext
past tense of shilly-shally
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

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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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallied
  1. hesitated
  2. faltered
  3. lingered
Verb
  • The decision was difficult because Washington hesitated to provide Kyiv with sophisticated, long-range weapons.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Many businesses hesitated to move their operations to the cloud, citing concerns about security and control.
    Gaurav Tewari, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of hesitated
Verb
  • In recent years — as longstanding efforts to recycle plastics have faltered — Exxon Mobil has touted advanced recycling as a groundbreaking technology that will turn the tide on the plastic crisis.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2024
  • Since then, Renzi has faltered, resigning after last year’s failed constitutional referendum.
    Pierpaolo Barbieri, Foreign Affairs, 25 Apr. 2017
Definition of faltered
Verb
  • The split was not amicable, and hard feelings lingered.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2024
  • As Helene lingered in the region, Augusta saw some of the heaviest rainfall in the state, totaling 12 to 15 inches — about four months’ worth of rain in just two days.
    Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of lingered
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near shilly-shallied

shills

shilly-shallied

shilly-shallies

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Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallied. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

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