hem and haw
verb
1 hem and haw
Utter `hems' and `haws'; indicated hesitation.
Roget 469:
qualify,
limit,
modify,
leaven,
give a color to,
introduce new conditions,
narrow,
temper.
waffle,
quibble,
hem and haw
(be uncertain)
475;
equivocate
(sophistry)
477.
depend,
depend on,
be contingent on
(effect)
154.
allow for,
make allowance for;
admit exceptions,
take into account;
modulate.
moderate,
temper,
season,
leaven.
take exception.
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Moby thesaurus: about the bush, back and fill, back down, balance, beat around, beg the question, debate, deliberate, demur, dodge, duck, equivocate, evade, falter, fear, fence, halt, hang back, haw, hedge, hem, hesitate, hover, hum, hum and haw, jib, mammer, mince the truth, mince words, palter, parry, pause, 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 ... show more.
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