Which verb means to waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive?

• A. Vacillate
• B. Persist
• C. Decide
• D. Deliberate

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is recognizing a word that means wavering between options and being indecisive. Vacillate fits this sense exactly: to swing back and forth between different opinions or actions, without settling on one. It conveys an ongoing struggle to commit, often with a back-and-forth hesitancy.

Think of how it would feel to stand at a crossroads, unsure which path to take, repeatedly weighing pros and cons and shifting between choices. That back-and-forth struggle is what vacillate describes.

The other options point to different ideas. Persist means to continue firmly and steadily, which is the opposite of wavering. Decide means to choose, which ends the indecision rather than describes it. Deliberate can mean to think about carefully or to discuss, which involves consideration but doesn’t inherently imply the repeated back-and-forth indecision that vacillate captures.