as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
after a moment's wavering, she accepted his proposal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in uncertain
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
he's still wavering about whether to take the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faltering
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the steel tower wavered for a moment before falling over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wavering
Anna Clark, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
In this atmosphere, as ProPublica has reported, there’s been widespread wavering on water fluoridation, even in Michigan, where the treatment debuted more than 80 years ago.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 14 Jan. 2026
However, the projections being made insinuate some potential wavering on his side.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The lesser among them, the timorous, the doubtful, and the wavering, stood back, watching, waiting for some greater sign, savoring their doubts.
—Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
This simple step before beginning a project is the easiest way to prevent wavering between keeping an item or discarding it.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
In June, Tehran paid the price for wavering, and the United States, for the first time in the nuclear era, struck the nuclear facilities of another state.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
This year, anxiety over the federal government and a wavering stock market is making people less secure in their finances, causing some tenants to move in with family or friends — leaving studio and one-bedroom apartments empty.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
In his new role, Jejurikar will be tasked with driving sales performance amid a wavering global market.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
Stocco said in a wavering voice.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Rather than conciliate a wavering citizenry, two years of occupation had instead inspired tens of thousands of other colonists to join the resistance to British rule.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Nix’s locker room, though, has no wavering faith in their young leader, as right tackle Mike McGlinchey emphasized.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The court ruling, the NTP report and the wavering stance of federal agencies have empowered a backlash to fluoridation in state and local governments.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
There were reports of Palace’s interest in Strand Larsen wavering towards the end of last week, but senior sources at Elland Road, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, never sensed that deal would collapse entirely.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Or, maybe, our first night of vigil for Alex Jeffery Pretti, will be a kind of wavering candlelight in the deep, dark moral and ethical power outage that is America, for so many near and far.
—Ed Bok Lee, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
While our pantries were stocked and our resolutions were made, nearly two weeks in, our resolve may be wavering.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026
While college tuition continues to increase nationwide, students are expected to enter the current workforce with student loans wavering above them.
—Tevon Blair, Essence, 9 Jan. 2026
The forecast models are wavering a bit on when the rain will arrive but the trend is more toward Friday night and Saturday.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Since then, Republican dissent has only seemed to grow — with some members who previously supported the bill now wavering.
—Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2025
What is unusual is the borough’s wavering property values over the past decade.
—Robert Frank,carlos Waters, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025
Noun
In this atmosphere, as ProPublica has reported, there’s been widespread wavering on water fluoridation, even in Michigan, where the treatment debuted more than 80 years ago.
—Anna Clark, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
In this atmosphere, as ProPublica has reported, there’s been widespread wavering on water fluoridation, even in Michigan, where the treatment debuted more than 80 years ago.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 14 Jan. 2026
However, the projections being made insinuate some potential wavering on his side.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The lesser among them, the timorous, the doubtful, and the wavering, stood back, watching, waiting for some greater sign, savoring their doubts.
—Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
This simple step before beginning a project is the easiest way to prevent wavering between keeping an item or discarding it.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
In June, Tehran paid the price for wavering, and the United States, for the first time in the nuclear era, struck the nuclear facilities of another state.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
And while plans in baseball are subject to change, the Tigers do not appear to be wavering, not even after a dramatic turn of events on one of the more noteworthy days in club history.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
This year, anxiety over the federal government and a wavering stock market is making people less secure in their finances, causing some tenants to move in with family or friends — leaving studio and one-bedroom apartments empty.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
In his new role, Jejurikar will be tasked with driving sales performance amid a wavering global market.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
Stocco said in a wavering voice.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Rather than conciliate a wavering citizenry, two years of occupation had instead inspired tens of thousands of other colonists to join the resistance to British rule.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Nix’s locker room, though, has no wavering faith in their young leader, as right tackle Mike McGlinchey emphasized.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The court ruling, the NTP report and the wavering stance of federal agencies have empowered a backlash to fluoridation in state and local governments.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
The path out of the pending partial shutdown is unclear, with neither side showing much indication of wavering.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
There were reports of Palace’s interest in Strand Larsen wavering towards the end of last week, but senior sources at Elland Road, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, never sensed that deal would collapse entirely.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Or, maybe, our first night of vigil for Alex Jeffery Pretti, will be a kind of wavering candlelight in the deep, dark moral and ethical power outage that is America, for so many near and far.
—Ed Bok Lee, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
While our pantries were stocked and our resolutions were made, nearly two weeks in, our resolve may be wavering.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026
While college tuition continues to increase nationwide, students are expected to enter the current workforce with student loans wavering above them.
—Tevon Blair, Essence, 9 Jan. 2026
The forecast models are wavering a bit on when the rain will arrive but the trend is more toward Friday night and Saturday.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Since then, Republican dissent has only seemed to grow — with some members who previously supported the bill now wavering.
—Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2025
What is unusual is the borough’s wavering property values over the past decade.
—Robert Frank,carlos Waters, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wavering
Noun
-
In rap’s gladiator arena, there’s no grace for hesitation, and that hesitation defined Cole’s involvement in the clash of the century.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Among those emails are unsent drafts, abandoned because of distraction or hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But like the British wartime leader who also led his country’s fight against a bigger, more powerful enemy, Zelensky has made missteps along the way and his future looks increasingly uncertain as the war grinds on.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Husband cleared, but path forward uncertain Judge Barry Wood of Idaho’s 5th Judicial District granted the defense’s alternative perpetrator theory for trial in a November 2025 order.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, if large enterprises are hesitating to commit and implement, that’s a broader industry headwind impacting everyone, not just SAP.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The appeals court, however, said staying the injunction serves the public interest by preventing federal agents from hesitating while carrying out lawful duties.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unless regulators crack down on these deepfakes, the videos threaten to steer even more patients toward wasteful, potentially dangerous purchases — while further undermining the public’s already faltering trust in medical institutions.—
John Whyte,
STAT,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The program also pledges to fulfill conditions for adopting the euro currency by 2030, and to invest in Hungary's faltering state health care and public transportation sectors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jackson also participated in COVID-19 vaccination drives to battle hesitancy in Black communities.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
And every one of us has moments of hiding, fear, doubt, and hesitancy.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Where Trump is unrelenting and single-minded, the justices have been inconsistent and unpredictable, and therefore appear irresolute.—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
-
Downtown, in his studio at the corner of White and Cortlandt Alley, on a Thursday evening in late July, Wyeth sat on his stool and considered the irresolute underpainting on his canvas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her only hesitance was how much the internet has changed culture in the past decade.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Those who are not immunized or are unsure of their status should monitor themselves closely for signs of infection.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
But that was with an aluminum bat, and with a line-drive swing, scouts were unsure if his power would translate to the pros.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wavering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wavering. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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