1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shilly-shallying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally
Verb
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Yet, the didn't appear to be the case for Colton, who hesitated to answer before last week's episode concluded.—
Dory Jackson,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025 -
Touching on directing and managing the top teams at Nudie Jeans, Levin doesn’t hesitate.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Ron Johnson supported it despite advocating that the House now delay its adoption.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2025
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Arkansas established a school scoring record for a three-game series, averaging 17 runs in the seven-inning games — the first via run rule on Saturday, the next two on Sunday shortened after weather delayed the series — against the Tigers, who averaged three runs per game.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Issues related to social justice, politics, sustainability, and mental health regularly intersect with entertainment stories, placing celebrities under pressure to publicly take stances on divisive topics, often without room for error or hesitation.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Consumer Confidence Is Still in Retreat Even as prices have started to ease, consumer hesitation lingers.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If the book falters, the production numbers – some based on famous Marilyn images and tropes, like the Seven Year Itch‘s subway grate scene, and the Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend bit – are suitably flashy.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Even before the tariffs, Tesla’s business was faltering.—
Lora Kolodny,Ari Levy,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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After her mother's stroke, Keys said self-care meant taking her blood pressure medication, drinking water and lingering for a moment at the mailbox to take in the sunshine and feel the wind on her face.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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But everyone must weigh their options should this trade war linger on.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
4 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
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With good reason, many European governments fear that the Trump administration is fundamentally ambivalent about the course of the war.—
Jack Watling,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Mar. 2025
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Thousands of actors have tackled the Bard's most tragic and ambivalent hero, but Laurence Olivier's eerie, atmospheric adaptation — the first major non-silent film version — makes the 400-year-old prince of Denmark seem devastatingly real.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Carrick’s penalty proved costly, as neither Trocheck nor Braden Schneider could muscle Point away from poking a puck past Shesterkin’s pad.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Hector had been poking fun at Lisa’s special interest: Taylor Swift.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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