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
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 uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
The vacillation between tragic and comic set pieces does justice to neither.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
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 uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
The vacillation between tragic and comic set pieces does justice to neither.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillation
Noun
-
Their only hesitation were their concerns for his future.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
26 June 2025
-
These travelers pausing their U.S. visits aren't swearing off the U.S. forever, but their hesitation shows the country's current political actions aren't going unnoticed.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Despite his hesitancy about giving up his role, Devers adjusted to being an everyday DH.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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Yet investors in recent weeks had shown hesitancy about longer-duration bonds like the 30-year bond, Hughey said.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Though the party may not explicitly endorse such behaviors, its hesitance to denounce them outright can be perceived as tacit approval, alienating voters who value law and order.—
Nafees Alam,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2025
-
This is partly a reflection of the collapse of studio interest in newsy documentaries as well as hesitance around a movie that condemns Israeli policies.—
Marc Tracy,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Thrillers work well on TV because episodic television has cliffhangers and pauses built into its structure that actually escalate or elevate the mystery component of a story.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
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The unanimous decision from the three-judge panel keeps a pause on a lower court’s temporary restraining order a week before that had directed the federal government to return control of Guard troops to Newsom.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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