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
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
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 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
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
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 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
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Jackson also participated in COVID-19 vaccination drives to battle hesitancy in Black communities.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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And every one of us has moments of hiding, fear, doubt, and hesitancy.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Company leaders have attributed slower demand to higher mortgage rates, economic uncertainty and consumers’ hesitance to spring for pricier projects.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Funding was eventually restored after a series of lawsuits challenging payment pauses, eligibility requirements, and requests from the federal government for sensitive citizen data.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
14 Feb. 2026
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That pause in dopamine release signals a failure in reward arrival, a new kind of prediction error.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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