as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the president was soundly criticized for his vacillation before responding to the crisis
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Recent Examples of vacillation
Beijing is not alone in facing vacillations from Trump in his second term.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
After a whirlwind romance and much theatrical vacillation, Lowell abandoned Hardwick to join Blackwood in London in 1970, a move that would forever mark her as the other woman to Hardwick’s many passionate partisans.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
After a whirlwind romance and much theatrical vacillation, Lowell abandoned Hardwick to join Blackwood in London in 1970, a move that would forever mark her as the other woman to Hardwick’s many passionate partisans.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
The exhibition continually plays upon vacillations between intimacy and exposure, with one of the Torso prints of black and white buttocks enlarged and sprawling down the length of one gallery.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The uptick in shoplifting over the past six months, which follows vacillations trending upward over the past two years, is at least somewhat attributable to macroeconomic factors, according to a study released by LendingTree last week.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vacillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillation
Noun
-
Music can reduce hesitation in emergencies by providing a familiar and structured rhythm.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 July 2025
-
Still, the key to first-person address, as that great Renaissance master Michel de Montaigne understood, is not to subtract complication but to supply it, registering doubt, hesitation, and irony even while developing an argument.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Still, the uncertainty surrounding his foot — and, frankly, his wage dispute — could likely yield to some hesitancy.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 July 2025
-
Others have suggested that there may be a link to more widespread hesitancy around government intervention on individual health that ramped up during the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Yet there remains a hesitance about criticizing the president directly.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
-
Still, there is a hesitance to accept psychedelics in the psychiatric community.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Even though no funding has been cut, Jackson condemned the administration, contending the effect of the pause is going to be massive and could result in North Carolina firing about 1,000 educators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
-
Decisions are made, the next task appears, and there’s little pause to examine what worked or what missed.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vacillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillation. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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