as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
in Congress there was a lot of fence-sitting, with many representatives waiting to see which way the political wind was blowing
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Recent Examples of fence-sitting
Lower mortgage rates will spur some fence-sitting buyers into action and increase sales volumes over last year.
—
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.
—Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.
—Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024
The endorsement is just one part of Harris' strategy to win over fence-sitting Republican voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2024
With the world watching, President Biden delivered a press conference performance strong enough to buy time from fence-sitting Democrats — but wobbly enough to keep the mutiny armed and dangerous.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 July 2024
In an impassioned speech – sketched out on little notecards, no less – Rhys had managed to sway enough of the fence-sitting members, and the bylaws had been amended.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fence-sitting
Noun
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That hesitation to ride in an AV, however, is highly dependent on the specific situation, the study found.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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The Chicago Board of Education renewed the contracts with six charter school operators Wednesday, despite recent hesitations from some board members about approving long-term agreements after a slew of financial troubles in the sector.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
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His hesitancy could undermine one of DeSantis’ key arguments to sway voters, particularly those in small counties, in favor of the amendment.—
Romy Ellenbogen Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors, has proposed mechanisms for coordinating pauses on advanced AI development if systems become too powerful.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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Located in the city's dynamic tech district, Whitefield, The Den Bengaluru seamlessly bridges heritage and innovation, offering an environment where guests can move seamlessly between focused work, casual connection, and moments of pause.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
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After a pause for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, social hesitance was still evident and masks were incorporated into some of the night's designs.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fence-sitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fence-sitting. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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