as in hesitancy
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
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Recent Examples of hesitation
Portugal has expressed hesitation about moving forward with its own F-35 acquisition plans, with outgoing defense chief Nuno Melo seeming to reference a shift in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Voters’ Voices This article is part of a series of check-ins with a variety of voters who made their choices in November’s election with some hesitation.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
The host then ran over to Sabrina and flipped the container over without a moment’s hesitation, spilling dirt on the table and across the floor.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Others declined to comment, while Council members Roger Dickinson and Mai Vang cited initial hesitation.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Voters’ Voices This article is part of a series of check-ins with a variety of voters who made their choices in November’s election with some hesitation.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
The host then ran over to Sabrina and flipped the container over without a moment’s hesitation, spilling dirt on the table and across the floor.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Others declined to comment, while Council members Roger Dickinson and Mai Vang cited initial hesitation.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitation
Noun
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At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.—
Sumit Johar,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Dasha led the melodic charge with short phrases that captured the character’s hesitance.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
8 Apr. 2025
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That could indicate a hesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation more fuel.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The president announced a 90-day pause for several countries but increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
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Hedge fund honcho Bill Ackman joined a growing list of President Donald Trump's billionaire backers calling for the White House to slam the brakes on tariffs just hours before Trump authorized a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for most countries that went into effect Wednesday morning.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Under cost-cutting orders from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, purchasing cards had been frozen, requiring approvals for all but emergency expenses, which sometimes meant lengthy delays.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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At least three victims in the case also opposed a trial delay, prosecutors said.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitation. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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