as in unwillingness
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reluctance
Experts say that's probably an undercount, given immigrants’ reluctance to come forward.
—
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Experts say that’s probably an undercount, given immigrants’ reluctance to come forward.
—
Jack Brook,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
However, there was reluctance to alter the regulations in-competition, though it may be revisited at a later date.
—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
The reason for this defeat was not a reluctance to use force.
—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Experts say that’s probably an undercount, given immigrants’ reluctance to come forward.
—
Jack Brook,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
However, there was reluctance to alter the regulations in-competition, though it may be revisited at a later date.
—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
The reason for this defeat was not a reluctance to use force.
—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
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Such large numbers could have been a driving factor in the reluctance or unwillingness of plan sponsors to participate in the BALANCE model as it was originally designed.
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The tournament’s special status — its unwillingness to place any person above the sport — is part of why Williams wanted to play singles, not just doubles with her sister Venus, after waffling on the decision.
Noun
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Sidewalk safety, a tale of two cities There is no such hesitancy with cities collecting roadway data.
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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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But, in general, the subject elicited private reticence and public omertà.
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The reticence about the number of robots is kind of part of the story.
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.
Noun
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Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie looked like Serie A regulars, Folarin Balogun’s finishing was on song and Gio Reyna put to rest any doubts about his selection by channelling his inner Luka Modric.
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As tech stocks waver on doubts the AI boom will prove sustainable, India is emerging as a safe haven for global investors looking to hedge their bets and weather the volatility, Bloomberg wrote.
Noun
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Culturally, the word is synonymous with ugly, not just for the ways lesbians defy traditional gender roles in the popular imagination but for their disinclination toward and unavailability to men.
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The same disinclination would normally apply.
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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