as in hesitates
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 vacillates
Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillates
Verb
-
The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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If Smack falters, Havrisik — who kicked in three games last season — is an option.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Once there’s some significant progress on the cross-country escape plan, the film falters a bit.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillates. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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