1
as in to hesitate
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 to delay
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
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shilly-shallying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally
Verb
-
Mazzulla, who’s trumpeted the Celtics depth at every turn this season, shouldn’t hesitate to use it if his starters stumble on Saturday.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026 -
That level of detail can make even cautious people hesitate.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The fight, though, kept getting delayed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Plans were reportedly delayed after Kate’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, but with her now in remission and feeling better, a tour is once again on the table.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Chiron in your 2nd House highlights something tied to confidence or hesitation.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
In a moment demanding courage, discipline and split-second judgment, men and women charged with protecting the president moved without hesitation toward duty, even at personal risk.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The merger, announced about a year ago, faltered for several reasons.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Most of that was driven by faltering corporation tax receipts.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
While coverage is expected to be more scattered, isolated strong to severe storms could still produce hail and gusty winds, particularly where daytime heating and lingering boundaries overlap.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The two men dined at a table alone, lingering long after all other diners had dispersed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
State data suggests this hesitancy may continue into childhood.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Despite Pickford’s relative hesitancy to engage aerially, Everton have been one of the most effective teams in the league at defending corners, conceding just five goals, the joint third fewest in the Premier League.—
Matt Pyzdrowski,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But these unknown early writings suggest that he may be better understood as an immigrant writer—one of the gifted, ambivalent outsiders who remade American literature after World War II—whose most astonishing achievement was the all-American voice of On the Road and the books that came after.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The book’s ambivalent nostalgia has not kept it from succeeding prodigiously.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the Iran war drags on, concerns over rising gas prices and other costs have ballooned, sending consumer sentiment plummeting.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But now, in a last-ditch attempt to save the whale, a team has loaded Timmy onto a specialized barge to essentially drag it to the North Sea.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 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-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
