as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the publisher's reticence to make content available online for free
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Recent Examples of reticence
Part of me thinks Americans’ reticence is political.
—
Nicole Russell, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Sweeney did concede that the uncertainty around two of the four first-round picks (the Toronto pick this year is top-5 protected and the Florida pick next year is top-10 protected) added to the reticence to move any of them.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Resolving Differences Challenging reticence has propelled the firm in a modern era.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
But uptake has been slow, reflecting a broader industry-wide reticence to shell out.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Nicole Russell, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Sweeney did concede that the uncertainty around two of the four first-round picks (the Toronto pick this year is top-5 protected and the Florida pick next year is top-10 protected) added to the reticence to move any of them.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Resolving Differences Challenging reticence has propelled the firm in a modern era.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
But uptake has been slow, reflecting a broader industry-wide reticence to shell out.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticence
reluctance
Noun
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In the same Easter lunch, the president reiterated some of his complaints about NATO allies for their reluctance to get involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz while suggesting that China, Japan and South Korea could also step up to reopen the waterway.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Crumbley and Gray convictions suggest this reluctance may be waning.—
Marcia Zug,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reticence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticence. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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