as in irresolute
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Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vacillating
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Eric Yttri, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Following years defined by supply chain issues, tariffs and vacillating interest for electric vehicles, carmakers are now also dealing with the traditional problems of affordability and cooling consumer demand.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Virginia Ritter spent most of her of the rest of her life vacillating between empathy and anger for her daughter's killer, all the while serving as a fierce victims' rights advocate in Nashville.
—Brad Schmitt, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Nov. 2025
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
Adjective
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
Verb
This hesitation was not the result of vacillating between options in indecision, but an active and regulated brain process to pause before acting due to environmental uncertainty.
—Eric Yttri, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Following years defined by supply chain issues, tariffs and vacillating interest for electric vehicles, carmakers are now also dealing with the traditional problems of affordability and cooling consumer demand.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Virginia Ritter spent most of her of the rest of her life vacillating between empathy and anger for her daughter's killer, all the while serving as a fierce victims' rights advocate in Nashville.
—Brad Schmitt, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Nov. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Where Trump is unrelenting and single-minded, the justices have been inconsistent and unpredictable, and therefore appear irresolute.—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Palmer is the center of the film and building the cast around her initially had Riley hesitating.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For now, hundreds of families remain in limbo, facing a looming deadline and an uncertain future.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
And much remains uncertain about how AI will reshape entry-level job opportunities.—
Jerry Balentine,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tatum’s injury was supposed to be a big reason the conference was so wide-open, along with the Indiana Pacers faltering because of Tyrese Haliburton’s own Achilles injury.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Now, as the conflict has shown signs of widening to other countries, including Lebanon and Bahrain, traditional safe-haven assets are showing signs of faltering.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Over time, though, the clarity of that governing brand faded as Democrats tried to address too many priorities at once, leaving voters unsure what the party stood for.—
Richard Yanowitch,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The rest were unsure or had no opinion.—
Sean Conlon,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Also helping out on Wednesday were Paul Goldschmidt, who clubbed a three-run homer off George Kirby in the sixth inning, and Ben Rice, who smoked a solo shot in the ninth after and before some wobbly work from Yankees relievers Camilo Doval and David Bednar.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Simple adjustments—such as using non‑slip mats, providing low‑entry litter boxes and creating easy access to food and water—can make daily routines much easier for a wobbly cat.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the Emerson poll, more than 50% of voters were undecided on whom to support for mayor.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The survey, conducted March 8–9, shows Cooper ahead 50 percent to 32 percent, with Libertarian Shannon Bray at 4 percent and 14 percent undecided.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To be sure, many Jews in America hold ambivalent views, feeling both a connection to Israel and a contempt for the Netanyahu government.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Many are ambivalent about what comes next.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillating. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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