as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the president was soundly criticized for his vacillation before responding to the crisis
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Recent Examples of vacillation
Blyth stands out largely because his character harbors the most internal conflict, but his vacillation between bullying patronization and pitiable wreck generates tonal whiplash all the same.
—
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
The protests led the government to backtrack on the geographical designation, but this vacillation sparked counter-protests in Marne, the first-tier Champagne region.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
An industry that plans product launches and manufacturing years in advance faced four days of vacillation from the White House, which appeared torn over how much assistance to provide U.S. companies that make the nation’s smartphones and watches, computers, tablets and semiconductors.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The intelligent decision militarily was to withdraw them, and after much vacillation and considerable Ukrainian military pressure, that was exactly what Russia did.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
The protests led the government to backtrack on the geographical designation, but this vacillation sparked counter-protests in Marne, the first-tier Champagne region.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
An industry that plans product launches and manufacturing years in advance faced four days of vacillation from the White House, which appeared torn over how much assistance to provide U.S. companies that make the nation’s smartphones and watches, computers, tablets and semiconductors.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The intelligent decision militarily was to withdraw them, and after much vacillation and considerable Ukrainian military pressure, that was exactly what Russia did.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillation
Noun
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Her hesitation reflects a broader moment of turbulence across the travel industry – one driven not by a single crisis, but by a convergence of them.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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Some Republicans who could cast key votes on this are expressing hesitation or outright opposition.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since the conflict in Iran began, travel agents have reported some hesitancy among travelers to purchase upcoming cruises.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
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Lindsay pointed out that that hesitancy, combined with the ongoing controversy, may lead viewers to lose trust in the franchise as a whole.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That the Astros even added Vázquez underscores their hesitance to hand César Salazar the backup role, despite Salazar’s familiarity with their pitching staff and strong clubhouse reputation.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
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Analysts have noted Mojtaba's lack of adequate religious credentials and hesitance within the regime to oversee a dynastic succession as marks against his candidacy to be the next supreme leader.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The pause applies to Iranian oil loaded on ships as of Friday and is set to end April 19.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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But if your friend has no idea what your partner’s talking about, that could be reason to take pause, Charlot said.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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