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
-
Surgery under fire When news of the donor heart came, Todurov did not hesitate.—
Ruchi Kumar,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025 -
Tran said some Republican clubs have even hesitated to ask their universities for support or security for their events.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
More than 300 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a ground delay caused by thunderstorms in the area.—
Marco Cummings,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Previously, researchers faced strict regulations that could delay their work.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And if a player is Premier League-proven, there is also less hesitation to pay big sums of money to other domestic clubs.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Now ready for pre-sale, the Sync Oven and Sync Air Fryer exemplify an idea beyond a kitchen tool, one that replaces hesitation with clarity and guesswork with certainty.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Francis was leading from a place of unification and camaraderie where all of these boys, Stebbins included, don’t want to see each other falter and don’t want to see each other die.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Deals collapse when communication falters.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The announcement, sparse on specific details, captured the trepidation and lingering ambivalences that AI companies have about policing young users, even as OpenAI begins to implement these basic features nearly three years after the launch of ChatGPT.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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The performance was impacted by the lingering effects of operational challenges, delivery delays and store closures initiated last year.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
-
These patient and clinician concerns about AI’s role in healthcare point to a broad hesitancy to leverage the technology across the industry.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to climate change, Cosmism’s ambivalent and generally hostile attitude towards the natural world should also sound familiar.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Reactions to Breinberg’s victory were respectful and occasionally ambivalent.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
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Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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