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
-
Keep in mind, Andy, Woody’s first and beloved owner, wanted to keep Woody with him, even in college, and hesitated for a moment before giving him up to Bonnie in Toy Story 3.
-
Instead, both hesitated, their feet tangled and a charging Healy banged in the loose ball.
Verb
-
The theory here is that avarice and ambition can best be defeated by means of somebody else’s avarice and ambition; power’s inevitable corrupting effect is thereby mitigated or delayed.
-
Automatic contributions, delayed payment windows, small rituals that add friction to impulse spending — these are all behavioral architecture moves, not acts of self-denial.
Verb
-
When Johnson faltered, Clark had plenty of breathing room — and a quick turnaround.
-
Still up seven games in the NL East, the Braves (46-27) are in an offensive funk over the past week, and the team’s good starting pitching has faltered some.
Verb
-
Yet, the same themes of access and power have lingered around the presidency in the eight decades since.
-
The claim that creatine causes hair loss has lingered since 2009, shaping decisions for gym-goers and athletes weighing whether to add it to their routine.
Verb
-
In that second leadership election, he was roundly defeated by Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist whose victory dragged the party leftwards.
-
As the Bucks dragged their feet on the Antetokounmpo situation, a number of other teams gave up on the season entirely.
Verb
-
Street sweepers and garbage trucks crawled through roads fans had packed hours earlier.
-
Last December, a rat appeared from the overhead bins and crawled behind a curtain in the cabin while a flight was en route from Amsterdam to Aruba, according to previous reporting from USA TODAY.
Verb
-
Griffin also poked at the cohosts in the immediate aftermath of Hasselbeck and former View moderator Rosie O'Donnell's legendary on-air fight in 2007, as Griffin was a guest host the following day and brought up the incident numerous times — which annoyed Walters in the moment.
-
Late in the third, the Knights seemed to retake the lead after Pavel Dorofeyev poked home a loose puck.
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 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
