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
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Recent Examples of vacillates
The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety.
—
Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillates
Verb
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If the alliance hesitates, Putin will see weakness and press harder.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The actress hesitates for only a second before divulging the story.—
Galina Espinoza,
Flow Space,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pure vision uses high-definition cameras to perceive and navigate, but performance falters in poor lighting conditions, and positioning is often lost.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
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If the offense falters in a game where the defense gives up more long balls, no game is a given.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillates. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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