1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
the panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been reticent about its internal operations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
understandably, she's reticent about becoming involved with another evangelical religious sect
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reticent
Just for the sake of inconsistency, there also are a slew of reticent sellers who believe that the bull market has lots more runway; as evidenced by a recent mini-burst of hostile takeover bids.
—
Dan Primack, Axios, 10 Feb. 2025
Joe knows one solution to that problem, but Kate is reticent.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Notably, some Republicans had been reticent about her being chosen for the Labor Department pick because of her past support for the controversial Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act.
—Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Mar. 2025
Editor’s picks The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
Though he’s known for being slightly reticent in interviews, today, Bad Bunny is fully charged and bursting with stories.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Dan Primack, Axios, 10 Feb. 2025
Joe knows one solution to that problem, but Kate is reticent.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Notably, some Republicans had been reticent about her being chosen for the Labor Department pick because of her past support for the controversial Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act.
—Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Mar. 2025
Editor’s picks The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
Though he’s known for being slightly reticent in interviews, today, Bad Bunny is fully charged and bursting with stories.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticent
Adjective
-
So far, the ESA has been silent on Trump excluding video game consoles from his tariff exemptions.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Taliban are also silent on the other restrictions and whether there is any chance of removing them.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Without trust, teams experience: • Communication Breakdowns: Team members become reserved and hesitant to provide feedback or voice concerns.—
Dr. Jennifer Bryant,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
At the start of episode 8, Cara, a reserved 29-year-old In-N-Out worker, had the cash in her box, while her bestie Samantha, a 41-year-old cop pretending to be a stay-at-home mom, had a clue that the secret millionaire was someone with two sisters.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Man Utd fans explain their song of defiance United fans have turned to Bonnie Tyler in a season of heartache Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Mikel Arteta has been reluctant to discuss his own musical tastes publicly.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Ja-young not only realizes what’s going on but accepts her grandson’s decision, becoming a reluctant ally in the charade.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump was notoriously secretive about his health during his first term and did not release any recent medical records as part of his 2024 campaign — even after a July assassination attempt, in which a bullet struck his ear.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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He's investigated the hidden offshore wealth of Russian oligarchs, billions of dollars in assets held offshore by a member of the Adani family and the Adani Group, and the maze of corporate structures and secretive inner circle of crypto giant Binance.—
Giacomo Tognini,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Simmons' initial reaction to the insult was a bit more restrained than his typical unfiltered comments.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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This year, the prestigious but far more restrained perpetual calendar was the complication of choice.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Carvalho said the agents were not in uniform and appeared hesitant to show their official identification, doing so only briefly when the principals attempted to note their details.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
O’Neill Clubs are usually hesitant in handing out bumper contracts to attackers on the wrong side of thirty, and with good reason.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Today By Paulina Berges Nestled within Okazaki on a quiet residential road, Shinsho-an feels more like a private home than a hotel.—
Christina Liao,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
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And in a culture that often asks women to go faster, do more, and present themselves perfectly, the act of cooking something small and lovely—just because—is its own quiet form of resistance.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
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Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Reticent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticent. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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