as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
in Congress there was a lot of fence-sitting, with many representatives waiting to see which way the political wind was blowing
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Recent Examples of fence-sitting
Lower mortgage rates will spur some fence-sitting buyers into action and increase sales volumes over last year.
—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.
—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—
Tal Axelrod,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—
Zachary Basu,
Axios,
12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—
Lizz Schumer,
Peoplemag,
12 June 2024
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.
—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—
Tal Axelrod,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—
Zachary Basu,
Axios,
12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—
Lizz Schumer,
Peoplemag,
12 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fence-sitting
Noun
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When Miller unleashed another slider, Suzuki showed no hesitation.
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That hesitation becomes stronger when the candidate frames the pivot as a weakness.
Noun
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Sidewalk safety, a tale of two cities There is no such hesitancy with cities collecting roadway data.
-
The Iranian regime’s apparent hesitancy to resume in-person talks is a significant step back from the high-level talks that took place in Switzerland earlier this month following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the countries.
Noun
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Munster’s mosquito-spraying program is once again set to take flight Tuesday after a brief pause, the town announced.
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His health problems resembled a fall down a long flight of stairs, with pauses at several landings.
Noun
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Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
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That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.
Cite this Entry
“Fence-sitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fence-sitting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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