Synonyms of dithered

dithered

verb

past tense of dither

as in hesitated

to show uncertainty about the right course of action

we dithered all afternoon over whether to go to the park or to the movies and ended up doing neither

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitated
• faltered
• vacillated
• waited
• debated
• wavered
• staggered
• paused
• halted
• scrupled
• hung back
• wobbled
• balanced
• teetered
• lingered
• swayed
• dawdled
• procrastinated
• delayed
• pondered
• hawed
• deliberated
• hemmed
• shilly-shallied
• waffled
• dallied
• weighed
• equivocated
• backed down
• oscillated
• considered
• chickened (out)
• hedged
• pussyfooted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decided
• plunged (in)
• continued
• stirred
• dived (in)
• advanced
• budged

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dithered

In fact, Mickes and Wixted have found that, in many exoneration cases, a witness resolutely identified a person in court despite having dithered and debated during the initial photo lineup. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

So, Congress came up with a solution, but the two leagues dithered over the particulars just long enough that the Protect College Sports Act never really had a chance. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

But phase two of the program kept getting delayed, in part because Congress dithered on funding. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

Sarah Finnane dithered mightily before deciding on this wild wallpaper for the new powder room. — Gary Thompson, Midwest Living, 5 June 2026

Trump dithered, then waited until the last minute to back Paxton. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026

As the authorities dithered, people across the city grew restless. — Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026

People shouted over each other as the performers dithered over ideas and raced around the venue. — Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026

Ao Tanaka should not have dithered and conceded the second set-piece so late into injury time, while the backline should have been more alert to the second ball. — Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025