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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of vacillated
Faced with a tough decision, Chiles vacillated.
—
Miami Herald, 31 May 2026
His government has previously vacillated between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian positions.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2026
Trump, in phone calls with reporters over the past two days, has vacillated between warmongering and offering unclear details about further negotiations.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Their callouts vacillated from descriptions riddled with scientific jargon to exclamations of awe and joy.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet Brown, who has vacillated on virtually everything this season, has gone in a different direction.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has vacillated between indifference and contempt for the USMCA, at times threatening to pull out of the agreement altogether and work instead to negotiate two separate, bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump has vacillated in his public statements on the deal.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Miami Herald, 31 May 2026
His government has previously vacillated between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian positions.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2026
Trump, in phone calls with reporters over the past two days, has vacillated between warmongering and offering unclear details about further negotiations.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Their callouts vacillated from descriptions riddled with scientific jargon to exclamations of awe and joy.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet Brown, who has vacillated on virtually everything this season, has gone in a different direction.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has vacillated between indifference and contempt for the USMCA, at times threatening to pull out of the agreement altogether and work instead to negotiate two separate, bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump has vacillated in his public statements on the deal.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillated
Verb
-
When stadium suites for the FIFA World Cup went on sale last year, the prices were so high that even the owner of Mercedes-Benz Stadium hesitated to buy one.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
-
Jamie hesitated and then, in an actorly kind of trance, came over and joined her on the bed.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Every neighborhood has its own part in the story too, as the nightlife nexus has migrated up and down Manhattan, shimmied across the East River and back, and transformed, faltered, and thrived again over the past six decades.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
They had just been swept by the Miami Marlins at home as the bullpen faltered and the offense failed to come through with runners in scoring position.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillated. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
