as in hesitating
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irresolute
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of vacillating
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The actress' create a world that engulfs you into their faux-showbusiness drama, a world of women vacillating between supporting each other and backstabbing to get themselves ahead, with striking performances that led to Oscar nominations for Davis, Ritter, Holm and Baxter.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Lawsuits have followed many of these funding actions, and the subsequent back-and-forth legal battles have left some grants vacillating between canceled and reinstated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
This is the Alcaraz who is unbeatable, a man who cut out the vacillating streaks in his game that derailed him in Melbourne and Wimbledon.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
By the end of March 2018 Aydın seemed unsure whether to try to clear his name or lay low, vacillating between the two strategies.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The actress' create a world that engulfs you into their faux-showbusiness drama, a world of women vacillating between supporting each other and backstabbing to get themselves ahead, with striking performances that led to Oscar nominations for Davis, Ritter, Holm and Baxter.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Lawsuits have followed many of these funding actions, and the subsequent back-and-forth legal battles have left some grants vacillating between canceled and reinstated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillating
Verb
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For now, Ian’s hesitating to tell Mike.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
26 Oct. 2025
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Because life—even for us jaded adults—should be for the seizing, not for hesitating in the face of fear.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Downtown, in his studio at the corner of White and Cortlandt Alley, on a Thursday evening in late July, Wyeth sat on his stool and considered the irresolute underpainting on his canvas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
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The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The timeline for when China’s two sixth-generation fighters began secret testing prior to their sightings last year remains uncertain.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Guerrero’s status with the Blue Jays was uncertain going into the 2025 season.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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At 25, when half her friends ran off to marry well and the other half were hell-bent on climbing the corporate ladder, Bizu found herself in the middle, unsure whether to pursue a boyfriend or a business plan.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
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Ron explains that the tumor started growing back in 2018 and past doctors were unsure about how to approach such a challenging facial reconstruction.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The latest acceleration of price increases comes at a wobbly moment for the nation's economy.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
24 Oct. 2025
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With center Jake Brendel missing his first start in 3 ½ seasons, and with all due respect to Matt Hennessy’s fill-in potential, Williams must anchor and lead the 49ers’ wobbly offensive line more than ever.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cuomo is trying win over undecided voters who disagree strongly with Mamdani on policy, but this approach may resurrect questions about Cuomo’s character.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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However, the same poll found that 20 percent of voters are undecided.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Altman has remained ambivalent about the potential timing for OpenAI to go public.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, Lin's only daughter is in college in the capital, with no plans to return — and ambivalent about having kids herself.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillating. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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