as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision
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Recent Examples of vacillated
However, recent editions have vacillated wildly in scorelines.
—
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This means his net approval rating in the last four weeks has vacillated between -14 points and -15 points.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This means his net approval rating in the last four weeks has vacillated between -14 points and -15 points.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillated
Verb
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The company had traditionally hesitated to include browns in its product range, but in her first year, after nixing the violet, Waight Keller introduced mocha brown, chocolaty brown, and a winey brown that looked like it had been poured from a decanter.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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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
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The only categories that The Studio faltered in were the Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy categories.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
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Iranian officials have long pledged to restore the lake, but revival efforts have faltered.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillated. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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