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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of fence-sitting in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
After the meeting, three delegates who had been fence-sitting for months sought me out for the secret handshake.
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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
Given the close nature of the race, these fence-sitting voters could play a crucial role in determining who will become the next president.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
That question must haunt the pair — director-writer John Ridley and his star Regina King — who collaborated on this sometimes touching but fence-sitting portrayal of Chisholm.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024
Washington also needs to strengthen the incentives for fence-sitting countries to work with the United States by offering better access to the American market.
—Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Democrats should not get in the way of that by pushing what certainly will appear like an antidemocratic maneuver — which has been Trump’s MO in recent years — to Republicans and maybe some fence-sitting independents.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2023
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
Given the close nature of the race, these fence-sitting voters could play a crucial role in determining who will become the next president.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
That question must haunt the pair — director-writer John Ridley and his star Regina King — who collaborated on this sometimes touching but fence-sitting portrayal of Chisholm.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024
Washington also needs to strengthen the incentives for fence-sitting countries to work with the United States by offering better access to the American market.
—Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Democrats should not get in the way of that by pushing what certainly will appear like an antidemocratic maneuver — which has been Trump’s MO in recent years — to Republicans and maybe some fence-sitting independents.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fence-sitting
Noun
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The team’s response, driven by fear of failure, was to pitch the new idea with hesitation, bracing for challenges and hoping that the CIO’s request would not negatively impact their progress.Thomas Lim, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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The polarized national discourse certainly may cause some hesitation among teachers to dive into those discussions, says Ms. Billingham Bock of the Democratic Knowledge Project.Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Rivera, who lives in Goodyear, will be voting for the very first time in this election, and despite some hesitancy at the beginning, solidified his support for Harris.Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024
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Yes, this story was reportedly (mostly) true as Belushi didn't sign his contract until moments before the cold open due to his hesitancy over the show and joining TV in general.Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 12 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Michelle Obama put a pause on her power suiting style and opted for her take on casual dressing for a recent campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday ahead of the presidential election.Julia Teti, WWD, 30 Oct. 2024
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The administration is ending its tenure with a pause on new U.S. liquified natural gas exports and infrastructure projects.Dipka Bhambhani, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The Ransomware Surge and the Cost of Inaction Ransomware also remains a lucrative and low-risk endeavor for cybercriminals, fueled by organizations’ hesitance to disrupt their operations with preventive measures.Craig Burland, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
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The hesitance is largely due to employer’s compliance and logistics concerns in its implementation, even after the IRS issued additional guidance in August.Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fence-sitting
Cite this Entry
“Fence-sitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fence-sitting. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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