1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
State data suggests this hesitancy may continue into childhood.
—
CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Despite Pickford’s relative hesitancy to engage aerially, Everton have been one of the most effective teams in the league at defending corners, conceding just five goals, the joint third fewest in the Premier League.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
This hesitancy is showing up in the market.
—Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
After the Veach interview ended, Schrager talked about Veach’s hesitancy.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Despite Pickford’s relative hesitancy to engage aerially, Everton have been one of the most effective teams in the league at defending corners, conceding just five goals, the joint third fewest in the Premier League.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
This hesitancy is showing up in the market.
—Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
After the Veach interview ended, Schrager talked about Veach’s hesitancy.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
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There’s also a reluctance to become reliant on Nvidia’s chips on the Chinese side.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
The Assembly echoed the Senate’s reluctance to make cuts to safety net programs.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Sensing hesitance as well as incompetence, coaches and players alike tried to sway the flailing fill-ins at every turn.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There was a pause in the action in the fourth inning when plate umpire Brian O’Nora exited with concussion-like symptoms after getting hit by a foul ball.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
Let’s pause here for a moment for an important bit of context.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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