SHILLY-SHALLY Synonyms: 253 Similar and Opposite Words

shilly-shally 1 of 3

verb

Definition of shilly-shally

as in to hesitate

to show uncertainty about the right course of action I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to delay

to move or act slowly with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shally

2 of 3

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shally

3 of 3

adjective

as in shilly-shallying

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally

Verb

Smith hesitated, Davis said, and Anderson grabbed the weapon and opened fire.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
More often, courts hesitate to override a parent who, up until a divorce, has been a child’s primary decision-maker.

— Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitate

Verb

During the first quarter of this year, around $130 billion worth of data center projects were blocked or delayed due to local opposition, according to a report from Data Center Watch.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
The classroom pipeline feeds directly into Russia’s conscription system, which requires all 18-year-old men to complete one year’s military service, though in reality many avoid or delay being drafted.

— Bloomberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of delay

Noun

Someone may be ready to build with you, but hesitation, mixed signals, or too many moving pieces could slow the process down.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
But the full game tape shows those are few and far between — his hesitation and questionable decisions make the lowlights a near-constant.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitation

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
The same list of conditions is relevant to the debates about our faltering literacy.

— Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of falter

Verb

Patterson, who turns 27 on Tuesday, has experience at guard and center, and the 49ers needed a backup at both spots considering Toth’s lingering concussion symptoms.

— Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Inside Fort Worth's Cowboy Coliseum, a historic 1908 indoor rodeo venue in the heart of the city's famous Stockyards, the gunpowdery smell of pyrotechnics lingers in the air.

— Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of linger

Adjective

This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.

— Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
One episode explores several years in the life of a random Jason variant who simply tries to build a life for himself in a quiet world.

— Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of random

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.

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

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Synonyms of shilly-shally

verb

noun

adjective

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