How to Use dither in a Sentence

dither

1 of 2 verb

• We don't have time to dither.
• She did not dither about what to do next.
• The world has dithered too long for an easy fix to still be on the table.
  — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2018
• But rather than have the car destroyed, Moran dithered.
  — Sean P. Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2018
• Last-minute guests, perhaps, or just no time to dither?
  — David Tanis, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2017
• In the course of this dithering, the statute of limitations lapsed on key charges.
  — The Editors, National Review, 23 June 2023
• At the same time, there are palpable concerns that the West dithered too long.
  — Anastacia Galouchka, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2023
• As central banks around the world race to cut interest rates, this is no time for the ECB to dither.
  — Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2019
• PSG will hope that their dithering over his future will not come back to haunt them.
  — SI.com, 21 July 2017
• While Ferrari dithered over how to improve things, the brand suffered.
  — Chris Bryant | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2019
• After a while this starts to feel like dithering, or the machinations of soap opera.
  — Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 10 May 2018
• Adding to the frustration was the fact that Congress dithered for days after the loan program ran out.
  — Tom Benning, Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2020
• That seems a better use of our time than dithering about, say, which running shoe to buy.
  — Maya Singer, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2019
• The team at The Late Late Show worked their magic quickly on a bit about people who dither about getting bangs.
  — Vulture, 1 Apr. 2022
• Clerics in Najaf have dithered on the kingdom’s request to open a consulate in the Shias’ holiest city.
  — The Economist, 8 Mar. 2018
• But if the council dithers too much, the city could lose valuable time in this first construction season.
  — Lynn Horsley, kansascity.com, 5 June 2017
• Instead, Democrats and Congress have obstructed and dithered and haven't fixed the problem.
  — Fox News, 7 Apr. 2018
• Now Khimyah was dithering between a dark-blue and a hot-pink winter jacket.
  — Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2019
• This was a time for action, not dithering, and the IOC belatedly stepped up.
  — Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2020
• The wine list is similarly easy to digest, with just 40-some bottles over which to dither.
  — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 22 June 2017
• This sounds like dithering that might have cost American lives.
  — Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 28 June 2016
• The months the president spent dithering in the face of terrorist aggression raised the stakes of this conflict.
  — The Editors, National Review, 12 Jan. 2024
• That toll would have been lower if the Chinese authorities had not dithered and hushed up the outbreak for months.
  — The Economist, 22 Jan. 2020
• Over the course of nearly 400 pages, readers observe both the bait-and-switch script and the policy dithering on what seems to be an endless loop.
  — Brooke Harrington, The Atlantic, 31 July 2017
• The dithering middle-age killjoys follow the girls, and their dates, from prom to lakeside after-party to hotel bash.
  — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 5 Apr. 2018
• The propulsion system was less efficient than expected, but the Coast Guard refused to dither.
  — Craig Hooper, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021
• Since the inauguration, the case has been placed on abeyance at 90-day intervals as Congress and the White House dithered over whether the subsidies should or would be paid.
  — Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 13 Oct. 2017
• There is no discussion of lean toning or dithering about building bulk.
  — Zan Romanoff, Bon Appetit, 30 Dec. 2017
• The final package was a long time coming and came together after months of dithering by Johnson, who was under intense pressure by leaders from both sides of the aisle to advance foreign aid.
  — USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
• The stock market ended up rewarding those who left immediately while punishing those who dithered.
  — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024

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dither

2 of 2 noun

• Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call.
• In some ways that's a relief; you won't be tempted to dither.
  — Brian Barrett, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2018
• In a city short on space and high on need for homeless services, there’s no more time to dither.
  — Heather Knight, SFChronicle.com, 24 Jan. 2020
• To do less or to dither rather than decide is to shirk our duty and betray the public’s trust.
  — Gov. Butch Otter, idahostatesman, 8 Jan. 2018
• Winners take bold actions, dominate others and impose their will on the world; losers hem and haw, dither and consult, exercise restraint.
  — Nitsuh Abebe, New York Times, 20 June 2017
• Fishing might well represent a tiny fragment of the U.K. economy, but did that mean it should not have been protected, even at the cost of dither and delay and, even, perhaps, the freedom of other industries?
  — Tom McTague, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2020
• In this telling, corporate America has taken action on gay rights, gun control, climate change, and the minimum wage—all while Congress dithers.
  — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Mar. 2018
• Followers have long suspected that Bey at the very least would release new music before the tour was over, so the arrival announcement promptly sent the internet into a dither.
  — refinery29.com, 18 June 2018
• The American steel industry has suffered as the market floods with imports, forcing prices down, all while the Administration dithers and delays over tariffs.
  — Time, 15 Feb. 2018
• But until that happens, a whole Greek chorus of tough-talkin’ ranchers, Mexican satirists, East Coast elitists and up-in-a-dither environmentalists are squawking in unison.
  — Patrick May, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2017
• Mr Johnson himself argued forcefully against any further dither or delay.
  — The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
• While the Trump administration dithers and argues with Congress and trips over its own feet, the Federal Reserve has moved decisively to counteract the economic impacts of the coronavirus.
  — Jeff Spross, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2020
• As Washington dithers and fights, Bexar County commissioners are taking swift action, creating a $5 million loan and grant program to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus.
  — Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, 24 Mar. 2020
• Instead, he and scriptwriter Taylor Sheridan (who wrote the original) dither away into subplots, including one that is ludicrously contrived and seems designed to continue the franchise.
  — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2018
• Intercutting scenes of Jen’s moral dithering with scenes in which Waiter and Manager dither emotionally, the playwright convincingly suggests a world in which only evil is decisive.
  — Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2018
• Those with intercollegiate athletic programs are in a dither figuring out what will happen to NCAA games, especially football, which is key to the identify of many universities and finances other sports at the largest schools.
  — Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY, 5 July 2020
• As global warming becomes direr – and nations dither about decreasing emissions – could these controversial technological fixes known as geoengineering buy us time to move away from burning fossil fuels?
  — USA Today, 24 Dec. 2019
• Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call.
• In some ways that's a relief; you won't be tempted to dither.
  — Brian Barrett, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2018
• In a city short on space and high on need for homeless services, there’s no more time to dither.
  — Heather Knight, SFChronicle.com, 24 Jan. 2020
• To do less or to dither rather than decide is to shirk our duty and betray the public’s trust.
  — Gov. Butch Otter, idahostatesman, 8 Jan. 2018
• Winners take bold actions, dominate others and impose their will on the world; losers hem and haw, dither and consult, exercise restraint.
  — Nitsuh Abebe, New York Times, 20 June 2017
• Fishing might well represent a tiny fragment of the U.K. economy, but did that mean it should not have been protected, even at the cost of dither and delay and, even, perhaps, the freedom of other industries?
  — Tom McTague, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2020
• In this telling, corporate America has taken action on gay rights, gun control, climate change, and the minimum wage—all while Congress dithers.
  — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Mar. 2018
• Followers have long suspected that Bey at the very least would release new music before the tour was over, so the arrival announcement promptly sent the internet into a dither.
  — refinery29.com, 18 June 2018
• The American steel industry has suffered as the market floods with imports, forcing prices down, all while the Administration dithers and delays over tariffs.
  — Time, 15 Feb. 2018
• But until that happens, a whole Greek chorus of tough-talkin’ ranchers, Mexican satirists, East Coast elitists and up-in-a-dither environmentalists are squawking in unison.
  — Patrick May, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2017
• Mr Johnson himself argued forcefully against any further dither or delay.
  — The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
• While the Trump administration dithers and argues with Congress and trips over its own feet, the Federal Reserve has moved decisively to counteract the economic impacts of the coronavirus.
  — Jeff Spross, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2020
• As Washington dithers and fights, Bexar County commissioners are taking swift action, creating a $5 million loan and grant program to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus.
  — Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, 24 Mar. 2020

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024