as in to hesitate
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 vacillate
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Val, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, is a genuinely surprising and strange movie that vacillates between emotional extremes at an almost minute-by-minute pace.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Yes, but: The bird flu outbreak has vacillated in the last three years and could quickly spike again.
—Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
Ars Video Red Bull spent the second half of last year vacillating over whether to allow Perez to finish out the year.
—ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacillate
Verb
On Ransom Canyon, Minka Kelly's Quinn vacillates between feelings for wealthy rancher and town bigwig, Davis Collins (Eoin Macken), and longtime crush, salt-of-the-earth rancher, Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel).
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Val, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, is a genuinely surprising and strange movie that vacillates between emotional extremes at an almost minute-by-minute pace.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Yes, but: The bird flu outbreak has vacillated in the last three years and could quickly spike again.
—Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
Ars Video Red Bull spent the second half of last year vacillating over whether to allow Perez to finish out the year.
—ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacillate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillate
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
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With a decline in visitor numbers and travel dollars, and federal aid nowhere in sight, the future remains uncertain for many in the area.—
Olivia Lee,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2025
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The future remains uncertain and the debate over fairness, inclusion and athlete rights continues.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
According to Priestley, many young people reach adulthood unsure about how money functions, how relationships grow and how systems interact.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Officials are unsure of where exactly Cosmos 482 will land.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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What’s undecided? Advanced class funding: A controversial plan to cut funding for Advanced Placement and other college-level courses in Florida’s public high schools will have to be hashed out in budget talks.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 May 2025
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Other large unions remain undecided and could still shake up the race, including District Council 37, the city’s largest public employees union, and Local 1199 of the S.E.I.U, which represents health care workers.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Timepiece Arkansas has always been somewhat ambivalent about the use of alcohol.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 May 2025
-
Decades later, even the FBI is ambivalent about whether any of the men successfully reached shore.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillate. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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