hem and haw
idiom
chiefly US, informal
1
: to stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something
The question surprised her and she hemmed and hawed a bit before answering.
2
: to take a long time before making a decision about what to do
The city council hemmed and hawed for a year before deciding to build the new school.
Examples of hem and haw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian’s Proposal Party After hemming and hawing over proposing to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), Brian finally works up the nerve to do so and buys a ring.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
After hemming and hawing over proposing to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), Brian finally works up the nerve to do so and buys a ring.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
While Bang brings dignity to the title character, there’s a familiar hypocrisy to how the film uses Tell to hem and haw about the horrors of war while spinning it into blatant action spectacle.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024
Some managers may have hemmed and hawed or played the diplomacy card.
—Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 22 June 2024
Both chefs impressed the judges, who hemmed and hawed over their favorite before eventually choosing Manny’s dish in a narrow win.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 May 2024
And after hemming and hawing for a few years, the Justice Department decided not to spend time retrying the case.
—Rita Braver, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2023
The German and French governments hem and haw about whether to provide Ukraine with tanks.
—Daniel Altman, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022
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.
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
After hemming and hawing over proposing to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), Brian finally works up the nerve to do so and buys a ring.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
While Bang brings dignity to the title character, there’s a familiar hypocrisy to how the film uses Tell to hem and haw about the horrors of war while spinning it into blatant action spectacle.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024
Some managers may have hemmed and hawed or played the diplomacy card.
—Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 22 June 2024
Both chefs impressed the judges, who hemmed and hawed over their favorite before eventually choosing Manny’s dish in a narrow win.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 May 2024
And after hemming and hawing for a few years, the Justice Department decided not to spend time retrying the case.
—Rita Braver, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2023
The German and French governments hem and haw about whether to provide Ukraine with tanks.
—Daniel Altman, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022
Dictionary Entries Near hem and haw
Cite this Entry
“Hem and haw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hem%20and%20haw. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share