HESITATED Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

hesitated

verb

past tense of hesitate

as in faltered

to show uncertainty about the right course of action I didn't hesitate to tell them that what they were doing was wrong and that I wanted no part of it

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Recent Examples of hesitated Though her books continue to be adapted into movies and recurring series, Moriarty has always hesitated to write a sequel. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 The driver hesitated on the street for a moment before driving away. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Monken hesitated to make Monday the drop-dead date for a winner. — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 At first, Pereira hesitated to leave the security of her finance day job to pursue a growing culinary passion. — Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Hunt went to the area's grocery store but hesitated to buy food in case the power goes out again. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 Incumbents hesitated, but young and diverse civic-minded men and women jumped at a chance to compete on a level playing field for state offices. — Elona Vaisnys, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026 When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026 Natalia, again fearing a trap, hesitated to disembark—until the dawn light revealed the smiling face of the rotund Diego Rivera, flanked by Mexican Trotskyists and government officials. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitated

Verb

In the rest of the state, Graham prevailed — including in the Charleston area, where former governor and congressman Mark Sanford endorsed Norman after his own Senate campaign faltered.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
But their turnout in Broward, the state’s last big remaining Democratic stronghold, faltered.

— Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of faltered

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hesitate

hesitated

hesitates

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“Hesitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitated. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hesitated

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