hem and haw
64 synonyms found
- about the bush
- back and fill
- back down
- balance
- beat around
- beg the question
- debate
- deliberate
- demur
- dodge
- duck
- equivocate
- evade
- falter
- fear
- halt
- hang back
- haw
- hedge
- hem
- hesitate
- hum
- hum and haw
- jib
- mammer
- mince the truth
- mince words
- palter
- parry
- ponder
- prevaricate
- pull away
- pull back
- pussyfoot
- put off
- recoil
- retreat
- scruple
- sheer off
- shift
- shift off
- shilly-shally
- shrink
- shy
- shy away
- shy off
- sidestep
- stammer
- step aside
- stick at
- stickle
- stop to consider
- straddle the fence
- strain at
- stumble
- stutter
- swerve
- tergiversate
- think twice about
- waffle
- ward off
- weasel
- withdraw
- yield
Definition
"if you hem and haw long enough, someone else will do it first."