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
Trump said the alliance’s reluctance to take part in the Iran war has deepened his antipathy to NATO, and quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin to back his stance.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Vessel’s starkly sharp architecture — critics call it cold or even brutally modernistic — has drawn pushback in several affluent suburbs, but its supporters say opposition is often based on a reluctance to bring lower- to moderate-income people into upscale neighborhoods.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
The reluctance from his party colleagues underscores a delicate balancing act for Democrats, who are seeking to maintain party cohesion while grappling with internal debates over strategy, messaging, and leadership, all while vying for a House majority in the midterm elections.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
Wynter and other Republicans, including Jones and Carr, have also criticized Jackson's reluctance to debate, highlighting growing tensions within the GOP primary.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Vessel’s starkly sharp architecture — critics call it cold or even brutally modernistic — has drawn pushback in several affluent suburbs, but its supporters say opposition is often based on a reluctance to bring lower- to moderate-income people into upscale neighborhoods.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
The reluctance from his party colleagues underscores a delicate balancing act for Democrats, who are seeking to maintain party cohesion while grappling with internal debates over strategy, messaging, and leadership, all while vying for a House majority in the midterm elections.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
Wynter and other Republicans, including Jones and Carr, have also criticized Jackson's reluctance to debate, highlighting growing tensions within the GOP primary.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
Consequently, while the consideration of parental gun behaviors is not entirely absent from custody decisions, its relative rarity suggests a deliberate unwillingness to link them with parental fitness considerations.—
Marcia Zug,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
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Dan Skovronsky, Lilly’s chief scientific and product officer, told USA TODAY that a weight-loss pill also should help people overcome barriers such as stigma about obesity or unwillingness to get a shot.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After the Veach interview ended, Schrager talked about Veach’s hesitancy.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That hesitancy drove some of the conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
More recently, the controversial designer John Galliano used the house’s reticence as a refuge to rebuild his reputation after a series of antisemitic rants led to his ouster from French fashion monolith Dior in 2011.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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By November, the nation might long for a rebirth of political reticence.—
George F. Will,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That likely means there won’t be any hesitance by Stammen to use his higher-leverage relievers today and tomorrow.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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That the Astros even added Vázquez underscores their hesitance to hand César Salazar the backup role, despite Salazar’s familiarity with their pitching staff and strong clubhouse reputation.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There have been plenty of doubts about the Braves' starting rotation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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And if there’s any doubt as to whether the electronics withstand the dangers of space, just take some solace in knowing that even tech built more than 50 years ago can be up to the task.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The same disinclination would normally apply.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Nov. 2025
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Beauty’s at-times reluctance to embrace TikTok Shop as a channel mirrors the industry’s longtime disinclination toward Amazon, an attitude that has shifted in recent years as the e-commerce giant’s beauty business has grown at an incontrovertible clip.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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