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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irresolute
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillating
Adjective
-
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 -
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Alexander Isak is training individually at former club Real Sociedad with his future at Newcastle United uncertain.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
The shift is rapid, relentless, and, for millions of Americans, deeply uncertain.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Local media outlets earlier in the day said that Ishiba was unsure of his future and would take a call on whether to continue as prime minister in August.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
-
If the Dodgers are unable to make a deal with Cleveland, there are other options on the market, but many teams are unsure of their path leading up to the trade deadline.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
The captains for both sides remain undecided, but Spanish star Jon Rahm believes his countryman and longtime Woods rival, Sergio Garcia, would be the perfect choice to lead Team Europe in the homeland.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Their conviction came during a retrial, after a first murder trial ended with an undecided jury.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Raised in faith, Del Toro attended Catholic school as a kid, but his relationship with religion remains ambivalent.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
-
Iranians, after all, are ambivalent about the state’s reaction.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Vacillating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillating. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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