1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
he's still wavering about whether to take the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in uncertain
Related Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waver
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
And whether or not customers trust grocers appears to waver depending on the region.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2026
As a small rural settlement is swiftly and ruthlessly stripped bare by the twin plagues of a diphtheria epidemic and spreading wildfires, the film eventually descends into a near-literal hellscape, though even when pandemonium takes over on screen, Van Dusen’s formal control never wavers.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Anna Clark, ProPublica, 14 Jan. 2026
Risks to China’s momentum, US reversals and European wavering spell trouble for electric vehicles in the year ahead.
—Kyle Stock, Bloomberg, 6 Jan. 2026
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 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
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Despite some online commentators with large followings publicly disagreeing with the president's decision—and many legacy media outlets eagerly highlighting their comments to try and sow division—the MAGA base is not wavering one bit.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waver
Verb
No need to waver at the edge of a sheer cliff, yearning after Cathy’s glam.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
And whether or not customers trust grocers appears to waver depending on the region.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Noun
This pricing dynamic leaves little margin of safety if confidence wavers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2026
As a small rural settlement is swiftly and ruthlessly stripped bare by the twin plagues of a diphtheria epidemic and spreading wildfires, the film eventually descends into a near-literal hellscape, though even when pandemonium takes over on screen, Van Dusen’s formal control never wavers.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
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, ProPublica, 14 Jan. 2026
Risks to China’s momentum, US reversals and European wavering spell trouble for electric vehicles in the year ahead.
—Kyle Stock, Bloomberg, 6 Jan. 2026
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
In his new role, Jejurikar will be tasked with driving sales performance amid a wavering global market.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
For locals, however, the focus has been on quickly picking up the pieces, without wavering in their welcoming spirit.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Despite some online commentators with large followings publicly disagreeing with the president's decision—and many legacy media outlets eagerly highlighting their comments to try and sow division—the MAGA base is not wavering one bit.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waver
Verb
-
And the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
-
When leadership is too removed, teams hesitate.—
Sue Mysko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
One risk is that the AI might falter and fail to detect that a person has an actual mental health condition that warrants attention.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
When the sway gets too risky, the captain closes some of the outer decks.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Environmentalists and tribal governments oppose those agreements, calling them an abdication of the state’s regulatory responsibility that gives irrigation districts too much sway over how much water will be allowed to flow through rivers and estuaries amid ongoing fishery and ecological decline.—
Andrew Graham
May 12,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hulse felt both hopeful and uncertain.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.—
Joy Lepola-Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Right now, Taylor said, both sides are hesitating.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Walgreens isn’t hesitating to close stores in parts of Chicago where theft is frequent and there are legitimate concerns about the safety of employees and customers.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the company that made their name keeps faltering towards the point of no return.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Most of that was driven by faltering corporation tax receipts.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
The mirrored lobby of the fabled New York City nightclub-turned-theater is packed with glittering guests filing in beneath trembling chandeliers.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waver. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
