as in hesitancy
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitation
The hesitation is pronounced among those with the lowest existing mortgage rates.
—
Mike Winters, CNBC, 16 July 2025
Chris pointed out their communication and Huda’s hesitation to be affectionate in front of the other Islanders as his main issues.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 14 July 2025
The right people are drawn to energy, not hesitation.
—Jw Roth, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Decades later in an interview with The Saturday Evening Post, Brolin reflected on his initial hesitation to take the role.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Mike Winters, CNBC, 16 July 2025
Chris pointed out their communication and Huda’s hesitation to be affectionate in front of the other Islanders as his main issues.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 14 July 2025
The right people are drawn to energy, not hesitation.
—Jw Roth, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Decades later in an interview with The Saturday Evening Post, Brolin reflected on his initial hesitation to take the role.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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Still, the uncertainty surrounding his foot — and, frankly, his wage dispute — could likely yield to some hesitancy.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 July 2025
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Others have suggested that there may be a link to more widespread hesitancy around government intervention on individual health that ramped up during the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Yet there remains a hesitance about criticizing the president directly.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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Still, there is a hesitance to accept psychedelics in the psychiatric community.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Decisions are made, the next task appears, and there’s little pause to examine what worked or what missed.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Even though no funding has been cut, Jackson condemned the administration, contending the effect of the pause is going to be massive and could result in North Carolina firing about 1,000 educators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
Noun
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How tariff news fuels some scams The Better Business Bureau warned earlier this summer that some scammers are using fake excuses involving delays caused by tariffs to cover up fraudulent online orders.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
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Cannabis Advocates Call For Rescheduling Marijuana Following Cole’s confirmation, cannabis industry organizations and executives were quick to call on the new DEA head to approve the proposal to reschedule cannabis, which has been put on hold since January because of procedural delays.—
A.J. Herrington,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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