1
as in panic
a state of nervous or irritated concern
Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in butterflies
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
we were all in a dither while we waited for the test results
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
we dithered all afternoon over whether to go to the park or to the movies and ended up doing neither
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 dither
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
In Diane Keaton’s dithers is all the strength of American women.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
There was no dithering, just a window of opportunity narrowing by the minute.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
Noun
But that counterintuitive ranking, in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican statewide in years, has Democrats in a dither and reform advocates once again saying that California needs to shift to a more representative form of voting.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
In Diane Keaton’s dithers is all the strength of American women.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Neither of them is going to sit around dithering.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
There was no dithering, just a window of opportunity narrowing by the minute.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dither
Noun
-
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
In other playoff action yesterday, the Thunder are verging on a back-to-back sweep of their own as the Lakers hit panic mode.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
And the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
-
When leadership is too removed, teams hesitate.—
Sue Mysko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
In the 1980s, many people didn't understand what the fuss was about, longtime broadcast journalist Joie Chen recalls.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
6 May 2026
-
Since then, thousands have flocked to theaters nationwide to see the award-winning performer and find out what all the fuss is about.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Exposing the dental pulp and cleaning out the cavity’s contents also would have deadened the nerves and blood vessels there, leading to pain relief, Zubova said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
Yields fell across durations on Wednesday morning as nerves calmed, but narrowed on reports Starmer’s leadership rival Wes Streeting is preparing to resign as health secretary.—
Elsa Ohlen,Joseph Wilkins,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
One risk is that the AI might falter and fail to detect that a person has an actual mental health condition that warrants attention.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
With most tropical reefs expected to face conditions like the Gulf’s by 2100—and already faltering under increasingly frequent marine heat waves—that makes the Gulf’s coral a source of valuable genetic information about resilience that could have implications for the rest of the world’s reefs.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Among agonized grunts and huffs, Probst narrated the fumbles.—
Sarah Grant,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For anyone with even a mild rodent aversion, that can trigger shivers of disgust.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
8 May 2026
-
Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sauna in Finland seems to be a whole event, not just a quick sweat.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Keep scrolling below for more pairs of comfortable summer travel pants, including cozy sweats and casual capri pants under $30.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dither. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
