hesitantly

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 hesitantly His crossing has often been a source of frustration, sometimes ballooning the ball too often, taking too long to put it into the area or cutting back on himself hesitantly. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 The clip shows the massive American bully hesitantly backing away from a tiny, energetic puppy. Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 Adam asks Conrad to take care of his brother, and Conrad hesitantly agrees. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitantly
Adverb
  • Fans chanted for Bayley as Lyra stared at her incredulously.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Carolyn responds incredulously while showing a sign of disgust on her face.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Lines of hundreds of guests snaked around the inside of the department store (which takes up an entire city block in Manhattan), with onlookers snapping photos quizzically.
    Anika Reed, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Daedone looked at me quizzically.
    Thessaly La Force, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • While aerial sightings have long been treated skeptically, the underwater dimension adds a new layer of complexity.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Wiener isn’t Cuomo An internal poll released a few months ago (and any internal poll must be viewed skeptically) showed Chakrabarti drawing 34% of voters to Pelosi’s 47%.
    Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hesitantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitantly. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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