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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallied
Verb
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Some executives hesitated, unsure of what to expect.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025 -
While America has not hesitated to use oceanographic ships to send messages by transiting the Taiwan Strait or probing interesting waters near rivals, China has been far more adept at employing research ships to challenge status quo.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Next, a series of lawsuits delayed construction.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
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New natural gas plants are being delayed until the 2030s because of a 50-month backlog for natural gas turbines, and new nuclear power plants can take more than a decade to get off the ground.—
Brian Deese,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hopes of a rail revolution that three years ago was poised to transform connectivity between major cities seem to have faltered.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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The New England Patriots faltered in the second half to start the Mike Vrabel era with a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That alone is enough to extinguish whatever lingered from Tuesday night’s debacle.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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That heavy drinking in the early days of the breakup is briefly discussed but not lingered upon.—
Caleb Hammond,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The post, which shared several photos from the outing, also poked fun at the couple getting caught in the rain while meeting with schoolchildren at the museum.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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While some people argued that the photo was degrading to women, Carpenter stood by the photo and poked fun at the controversy while sharing alternate album covers.—
Katherine Schaffstall,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His life was going nowhere, until his brother Scott dragged him off the couch and convinced Dean to sign up with his acting coach, Bill Esper.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Mitchell was then dragged outside to the valet area, and a female Hyatt employee grabbed a broomstick and struck Mitchell with it.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallied. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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