as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the publisher's reticence to make content available online for free
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Recent Examples of reticence
Democrats know Trump’s reticence about Epstein has played into their hands.
—
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 18 Nov. 2025
Despite Canales’ reticence, there’s little guesswork involved.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
In fact, some of Indiana's most pro-Trump lawmakers previously expressed reticence about drawing new maps, though some of the opposition softened in the wake of previous meetings with Vance.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 8 Oct. 2025
Amid mass reticence, An Unfinished Film is an essential yet incomplete outlet for unprocessed trauma.
—Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticence
reluctance
Noun
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Xi’s words contrast with his emphasis on traditional gender roles, which has created a reluctance among officials to break families apart.—
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Smith has long been open about their history of struggle with body issues, including in a 2019 post in which the singer posed shirtless on a beach and described a reluctance early in their career to take photos without a shirt on.—
Cite this Entry
“Reticence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticence. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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