WAVERING Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

wavering 1 of 3

noun

as in hesitation

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action after a moment's wavering, she accepted his proposal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wavering

2 of 3

adjective

as in uncertain

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

wavering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of waver

as in hesitating

to show uncertainty about the right course of action he's still wavering about whether to take the job

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faltering

to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side the steel tower wavered for a moment before falling over

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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 wavering

Noun

European leaders have committed to improving the continent’s defense in response to Washington’s wavering on NATO, but defense budgets, industries, and forces remain primarily national. — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026 In the laundry wavering in the pre-dawn light, blue-hued and wet with spring dew. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 My apologies to the couple for wavering and siding with those pushy moms. — Abigail Van Buren, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2026 With the traditional clinic system in place, illicit drug dealers could still capitalize on knowing precisely where their target clientele — the vulnerable, the wavering — would gather. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026 After his years of national wavering, Volpato’s entrance officially tied him, for the rest of his life, to Australia. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 1 July 2026 And with Trump remaining popular in the state — despite some nationwide wavering over issues including the economy — proximity to the president has been a campaign feature for all of the Republicans vying for the state's top office. — ABC News, 23 June 2026 Throughout it all, Senate Democrats stood united — no wavering, no backing down. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026 There would be no wavering of any kind on my part this time. — Patrick Albanese As Told To Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 22 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Sony has also shown a wavering commitment to its digital stores. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 The same engine that nudges one shopper up can hand another a discount to close a wavering sale. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026 He was encouraged by his timing and sensed Miller might be wavering, especially after an errant pickoff throw put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. — Katie Woo, New York Times, 20 May 2026 One night, Altman took an Ambien, only to be awakened by his husband, an Australian coder named Oliver Mulherin, who told him that Sutskever was wavering, and that people were telling Altman to speak with the board. — Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 Music is the focal point of each service, with Jeffrey playing guitar and keyboards behind the curtain, singing in a wavering voice reminiscent of Jeff Mangum about the subjects, ideas and feelings that have occupied his mind at various stages of his life. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 But by the time the Trojans had gotten into the pressures of February, the optimism was wavering. — Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026 Rarely wavering and never giving up. — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026 In his new role, Jejurikar will be tasked with driving sales performance amid a wavering global market. — Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025

Verb

The arm locks into both positions via an internal catch so that there's no unwanted flexing or wavering in the middle of your work. — New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026 Major circuits’ presales for Clayface are wavering; some indicate an $18M opening, while others see it in the mid-$20Ms. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026 Warsh could go into the October meeting primed to muscle up wavering committee members based on booming demand for AI spending and warm readings in the inflation data. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 The second is a classic MAGA narrative gambit to convince wavering Trump voters, as well as high-profile Senate candidates who have begun to distance themselves from the war, that the United States is winning. — David Faris, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 But Brent resumed climbing as conflict persisted, topping $100 per barrel again in July before wavering and then hitting that mark again late Tuesday. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Emerging markets such as India, which entered the top 20 markets two years ago and now ranks 15th for Swiss watch exports by size, and Mexico are also contributing to a lessening of the dependency on wavering top markets, in particular China. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026 Allies left vulnerable Elsewhere, American allies are reeling from the realization that the United States’ unambiguous commitment to protecting them might be wavering. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026 Usually hidden by the glare of our star, the ethereal corona and its pale, wavering streams of plasma are shaped by the sun’s magnetic field. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wavering

Noun

After some hesitation, the co-anchor finally placed his crown on his head.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The slowdown in investment was put down to government hesitation over changes to Italy’s domestic tax incentive for TV shows and films.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitation

Adjective

Those assumptions can be quite uncertain when designing an entirely new study.

— Mark Louie F. Ramos, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
Specialists recommend seeking a second opinion from a neurologist who specializes in MS when a diagnosis is uncertain, particularly before starting medications that affect the immune system.

— Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitating

Verb

European regulators are putting fierce pressure on Tesla regarding potential road safety issues, while faltering US sales are bringing the economic viability of an international rollout into question.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026
Analysts noted that the brand was bucking trends among Chinese consumers, where most luxury brands have been faltering this quarter.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of faltering

Noun

Opposition or hesitancy has been less focused on Hasan's death sentence which has broad support among Republicans, but on the decision to broadcast it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Consider the party’s hesitancy in addressing the financial ramifications of China’s demographic decline.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitancy

Adjective

Both Fortune and Harris express having great empathy for the protagonist, who was an insecure girl that had an irresolute boyfriend and made a grave mistake.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Where Trump is unrelenting and single-minded, the justices have been inconsistent and unpredictable, and therefore appear irresolute.

— Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025

Definition of irresolute

Verb

In addition to rewards for moving at the right speed and in the right direction and penalties for things like wobbling or jerky movement, the team introduced a novel way to keep the hand in a crawling stance during the simulated training.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of wobbling

Noun

However, Pritzker’s hesitance to deploy a comprehensive solution to data centers could be his Achilles’ heel in the primaries.

— Patrick McNamara, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Definition of hesitance

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wavered

wavering

wavers

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Style

“Wavering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wavering. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wavering

noun

adjective

verb

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