1
as in hesitates
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 delays
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-shallies
Verb
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Though Pollan hesitates to claim that a fundamental aspect of human capability and human experience remains beyond science’s reach, A World Appears closely maps out such a territory.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 Mar. 2026 -
If a planner hesitates or hedges on this question, consider that a red flag.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If Oviedo falters over the next month, the Red Sox may be forced to flip him with either Tolle or Early.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Alice never falters in her suspicions.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If your depression lingers, counseling will put you on the right track.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Rather than depicting the blast itself, Testament focuses on what lingers.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
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On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18,
Futurism,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But if the situation drags on, higher energy prices could start to weigh more heavily on the global economy, hurting consumers, slowing growth, and keeping markets under pressure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Travel expert Clint Henderson of The Points Guy website told Fox News Digital that as the shutdown drags on, flight passengers can expect the situation to only get worse.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kellner pokes a ball into the soft spot in left-center, scoring two runs.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Your 9th House of Journeys takes focus as the Moon pokes Jupiter in your more localized 3rd house.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallies. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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