as in hesitated
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 vacillated
Yet Brown, who has vacillated on virtually everything this season, has gone in a different direction.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has vacillated between indifference and contempt for the USMCA, at times threatening to pull out of the agreement altogether and work instead to negotiate two separate, bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump’s remarks vacillated between defiant and scathing.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Trump has vacillated in his public statements on the deal.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Aaron Peskin, another supervisor who leaned left, said that Newsom vacillated all the way to the end, as if awaiting the arrival of new information.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
While on the stand, Bianchi vacillated between different versions of his story and denied several elements of his original confession.
—Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
His role has vacillated from being a starter or an offensive catalyst off the bench, but his attitude never wavers.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Ware has vacillated out of and then into and then out of and now back into the starting lineup.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has vacillated between indifference and contempt for the USMCA, at times threatening to pull out of the agreement altogether and work instead to negotiate two separate, bilateral deals with Mexico and Canada.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump’s remarks vacillated between defiant and scathing.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Trump has vacillated in his public statements on the deal.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Aaron Peskin, another supervisor who leaned left, said that Newsom vacillated all the way to the end, as if awaiting the arrival of new information.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
While on the stand, Bianchi vacillated between different versions of his story and denied several elements of his original confession.
—Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
His role has vacillated from being a starter or an offensive catalyst off the bench, but his attitude never wavers.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Ware has vacillated out of and then into and then out of and now back into the starting lineup.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacillated
Verb
-
From coordinating painting, flooring and cabinet removal to troubleshooting daily obstacles during the summer, Higman answered every call, provided solutions and never hesitated to step in, according to Filamor.—
Cyril A. Reinicke,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Allies, too, have hesitated to turn to force to reopen the strait.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Washington led 111-106 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Wizards defense faltered after that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Fland’s defense — his calling card — faltered on the decisive play.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacillated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacillated. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
