as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision
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Recent Examples of vacillated
Rubio’s position on Russia has vacillated over the years.
—
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Ware has vacillated out of and then into and then out of and now back into the starting lineup.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Since then, academic institutions at nearly every level have vacillated between outright AI bans to formal partnerships with AI companies.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Major averages vacillated through the morning but were at session highs heading into afternoon trading.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
The global economy has for months been roiled by a tit-for-tat of mounting tariffs, export controls and other penalties hitting areas from high-tech goods to high-seas shipping, as the US and China have vacillated between escalation and negotiation.
—Betsy Klein, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Striking the right balance between freedom for adults and safety for users has been a difficult balancing act for OpenAI, which has vacillated between permissive and restrictive chat content controls over the past year.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2025
But the Broncos have vacillated all over the map in efficiency on every down the last two weeks, and have seen their offense come to a screeching fourth-quarter halt in close losses because of it.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Trump calls out political rivals in wide-ranging eulogy Trump vacillated between eulogizing Kirk, celebrating his political achievements, and taking shots at his rivals, including former President Joe Biden.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 21 Sep. 2025
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Ware has vacillated out of and then into and then out of and now back into the starting lineup.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Since then, academic institutions at nearly every level have vacillated between outright AI bans to formal partnerships with AI companies.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Major averages vacillated through the morning but were at session highs heading into afternoon trading.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
The global economy has for months been roiled by a tit-for-tat of mounting tariffs, export controls and other penalties hitting areas from high-tech goods to high-seas shipping, as the US and China have vacillated between escalation and negotiation.
—Betsy Klein, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Striking the right balance between freedom for adults and safety for users has been a difficult balancing act for OpenAI, which has vacillated between permissive and restrictive chat content controls over the past year.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2025
But the Broncos have vacillated all over the map in efficiency on every down the last two weeks, and have seen their offense come to a screeching fourth-quarter halt in close losses because of it.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Trump calls out political rivals in wide-ranging eulogy Trump vacillated between eulogizing Kirk, celebrating his political achievements, and taking shots at his rivals, including former President Joe Biden.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillated
Verb
-
As investors watched closely, even Republicans who hesitated to condemn the probe were careful to extol the virtues of an independent central bank.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The insider says Richie never hesitated to leave his residences in California or Hawaii at a moment’s notice to return to New Jersey.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pass protection faltered, the run game stalled and Love couldn’t find a rhythm through the air as Green Bay welcomed Chicago back into the game and the Bears once again took advantage to end their archrival’s season in stunning fashion.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Traffic in restaurants faltered, as budget-conscious customers ate out less often and spent less.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillated. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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