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
Beijing is not alone in facing vacillations from Trump in his second term.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
After a whirlwind romance and much theatrical vacillation, Lowell abandoned Hardwick to join Blackwood in London in 1970, a move that would forever mark her as the other woman to Hardwick’s many passionate partisans.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
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
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
After a whirlwind romance and much theatrical vacillation, Lowell abandoned Hardwick to join Blackwood in London in 1970, a move that would forever mark her as the other woman to Hardwick’s many passionate partisans.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
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
-
As the title suggests, its cast was entirely composed of couples in which one party was ready to get hitched, and the other had hesitations.—
James Factora,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
-
However, lofty goals often lead to significant hesitation or avoidance.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christine, 53, now tells PEOPLE about her hesitancy to return to the series that made her family household names.—
Dory Jackson,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Educational research shows that spoken practice strengthens memory and reduces hesitancy more effectively than passive drills, which is why Airlearn places conversation at the core of its design.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
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Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After battling Bukele in public and her own embassy in private, Manes announced a pause in diplomatic relations and left El Salvador in late 2021.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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His showing over the weekend, however, should at least give the Canucks some pause.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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