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
In general, game-to-game data vacillates pretty wildly.
—
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 1 June 2026
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
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 1 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillates
Verb
-
Sirianni hesitates for a moment, like the school troublemaker on the verge of another unpleasant trip to the principal’s office.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
If someone hesitates, keep spirits up and adjust the route without losing the goal, then genuinely celebrate small wins.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Such investors might be more inclined to dump their shares if the company's growth falters, rather than ride out the storm, Grelck said.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
Sometimes, things get a bit heavy-handed, and while there’s certainly room for museums to bear the stamp of their founders, as do the Frick Collection in New York, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and many others, Alice Walton’s vision sometimes falters in execution.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillates. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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