1
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delays
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallies
Verb
-
The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026 -
His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
As climate change delays the first winter frosts across much of North America, summer ragweed also keeps flowering longer, extending the latter part of pollen season into the fall, said David Wees, a faculty lecturer in horticulture at McGill University in Montreal.—
Keerti Gopal,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
Copy-on-write is an optimization technique where a system delays making a separate copy of data until it is actually changed.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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As a ceasefire with Tehran falters, Republicans joined Democrats in pressing for details on the conflict’s costs and the administration’s plan to end it.—
Noah Robertson,
Washington Post,
12 May 2026
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Overreliance on one industry makes economies betting on high-tech development vulnerable to market corrections, if AI development falters, or if worsening commodities shortages eventually hinder production of electronic components.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The filmmaker rarely lingers, making brief moments of grace — like Gabrielle peeking in at her mom and stepdad taking a nap — all the more resonant for their evanescence.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Warmer and more humid weather moves in on Friday and lingers through the weekend.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Leclerc crawls through the long right-hand Turn 12, where Lindblad moves ahead again.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If the disruption drags on, inventories continue to fall, spare capacity is further depleted, and the margin for error disappears.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Being of Haitian descent means understanding kompa music by osmosis, often starting in early childhood when your mom or tatie drags you to dance during some ten-minute Sweet Micky song.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallies. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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