as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
we dithered all afternoon over whether to go to the park or to the movies and ended up doing neither
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Recent Examples of dithering
Neither of them is going to sit around dithering.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
There was no dithering, just a window of opportunity narrowing by the minute.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
Either technology can show an assortment of issues like banding and dithering patterns in fills, which vary from printer to printer and can even vary from one quality setting to another with the same printer.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
After a decade of dithering by state leaders, voters forced change last November with their landslide approval of Proposition 36, which reversed parts of Proposition 47 and made some theft and drug crimes felonies once more.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
Okonkwo was fortunate that another bout of dithering, this time as Karamoko Dembele raced through a wide-open Wrexham defence late on, didn’t result in Rangers adding a fourth.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Kudos for persistence, but slam the leadership dithering.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
There was no dithering, just a window of opportunity narrowing by the minute.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
Either technology can show an assortment of issues like banding and dithering patterns in fills, which vary from printer to printer and can even vary from one quality setting to another with the same printer.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
After a decade of dithering by state leaders, voters forced change last November with their landslide approval of Proposition 36, which reversed parts of Proposition 47 and made some theft and drug crimes felonies once more.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
Okonkwo was fortunate that another bout of dithering, this time as Karamoko Dembele raced through a wide-open Wrexham defence late on, didn’t result in Rangers adding a fourth.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Kudos for persistence, but slam the leadership dithering.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dithering
Verb
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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
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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
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Another cousin, the son of my industrialist uncle, has given up regattas and the hedonist’s life for a position in his father’s company that is, like all companies in Turkey, faltering under the tremendous burden of an economy in tailspin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.—
JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dithering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dithering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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