as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction about the right course of action
her indecision about where to go for dinner, while everyone was getting hungrier by the minute, was frustrating
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indecision
In this Earth sign, Mercury isn’t prone to indecision or rushing to make conclusions.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 10 May 2025
As with conventional war strategists, nuclear planners have focused on speed and brilliantly executed opening moves, with the aim of taking out the enemy’s means of retaliation and eliminating its leadership, or at least alarming and confusing it to generate a paralysis of indecision.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
At a time when United need to build positive momentum, they are hobbled by indecision and tactical turbulence.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Oklahoma City preys on indecision — a harsher word for selectiveness.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for indecision
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 10 May 2025
As with conventional war strategists, nuclear planners have focused on speed and brilliantly executed opening moves, with the aim of taking out the enemy’s means of retaliation and eliminating its leadership, or at least alarming and confusing it to generate a paralysis of indecision.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
At a time when United need to build positive momentum, they are hobbled by indecision and tactical turbulence.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Oklahoma City preys on indecision — a harsher word for selectiveness.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for indecision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecision
Noun
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The memory of what happened the last time around might be contributing to the hesitation.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
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Most purchases aren’t made through a purely logical process but are influenced by how customers feel in the moment—whether a price excites them, creates hesitation or triggers an impulse buy.—
Anton Timashev,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Unlike Southampton, who promptly dispatched their second manager of this season, Ivan Juric, immediately after relegation was confirmed, there has been a hesitancy about making a change.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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The filmmakers went beyond celebrities and experts, also talking to regular people, including some residents of the Bay Area, about their own hesitancy, and how their views have or have not changed.—
Harriet Blair Rowan,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Boomers are more likely to emphasize resilience, self-reliance, and the belief that personal struggles should be handled privately, that seeking help is a weakness, resulting in a hesitance to seek external support like therapy.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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However, there was hesitance among owners to strip division champions of their first-round home-field advantage, prompting the modification to reseed after the wild-card round.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
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In addition to the hiring freeze, University President Ron Daniels also announced a pause in annual pay increases for employees earning $80,000 or more, a slowing of capital projects by 10% to 20%, and spending cuts for travel, events, food, and supplies.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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That can mean pressing pause on hiring, cutting workers' hours and even laying off staff, business owners say.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indecision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecision. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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