1
as in to hesitate
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 to delay
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
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shilly-shallying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally
Verb
-
Asked during a keynote appearance at Berlin’s European Film Market whether such a deal would be good for the film business, Ford didn’t hesitate.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026 -
Glenn and his friends were asked to meet some girls, and the teens didn’t hesitate.—
Yolanda Harris,
AJC.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Silver firmly stated that the investigation and its findings were not purposely delayed while the Clippers host this All-Star weekend.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Officials from those agencies warned lawmakers that the lapse in funding will leave thousands of personnel working without pay, disrupt disaster reimbursements, delay cyber protections and more.—
Justin Gomez,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But in his first appearances on Olympic ice, Malinin showed some fallibility and faltered in the short program of the team event, finishing behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama.—
Alice Park,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Trying to hold all of that in, trying to be the one who never falters is not sustainable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Experts point to restricted access to advanced chips and limited capital as lingering constraints.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Back in the Mexico City bar, as the game resumed and fans turned their attention back to the field, the excitement lingered.—
Martin Silva Rey,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Warsh, a former Fed governor with a Wall Street background, has been critical of the central bank's handling of inflation in the past and told CNBC in July that its hesitancy to cut interest rates undermined its credibility.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The event evidently singled out Newsom due to his frontrunner status in very early pre-campaign polling, as well as the leading role California’s high tech industry plays in developing AI and Newsom’s somewhat ambivalent attitude toward AI’s potential effects.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Based on the public defender’s account, Bell appeared at best ambivalent in the face of blatant prosecutorial misconduct.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Slave catchers could capture them, kidnap them and drag them back South.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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