as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vacillates
The characters have little time to make life-or-death decisions, let alone ruminate, and the action vacillates between triage and doctors expertly improvising solutions — like Mel (Taylor Dearden) donating her own blood, and Javadi (Shabana Azeez) going MacGyver mode with a tracheal tube.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
In general, game-to-game data vacillates pretty wildly.
—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.
—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.
—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
In general, game-to-game data vacillates pretty wildly.
—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
And Dylan vacillates in that same way.
—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.
—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillates
Verb
-
In Spearfish, Yu hesitates over a set of cow grates and dumps her bike at low velocity.
-
Hassan hesitates over an undercooked backpass, Haaland smells blood, and Iraq are toast.
Verb
-
And once performance falters, customers are likely to lose faith in your brand.
-
Conquerors and autocrats may win the immediate battle by bullying their subjects into submission, but their empires inevitably crumble the moment their iron grip falters.
Cite this Entry
“Vacillates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillates. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
