- present tense form of vacillate (3rd person singular).
vacillates
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is closer to music than epic, a mesmerizing suite of songs that conveys Tennyson’s private sorrow as he vacillates from unbearable agony to precarious hope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
When he isn’t mugging for Reed’s camera he vacillates between a stony-faced refusal to admit guilt and an approximation of remorse.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2024
“He vacillates between being very intense and focused about his work and just really silly and fun,” Diarra Kilpatrick, who plays Paul’s wife, Clara, said in a video interview.
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
But it wouldn’t be a reach to believe the NBA legend’s criticism of his portrayal in the show — as a tempestuous and profane malcontent who vacillates between anger and despair — helped boost ratings.
From Washington Post ● May 15, 2022
"Common sense permits us to elude fear which always seizes those whose judgment vacillates; it removes the defiance of the Will and indicates infallibly the correct attitude to assume."
From Common Sense, How to Exercise It by Mme. Blanchard Yoritomo-Tashi
