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Synonyms

sit on the fence

Cultural  

  1. To remain neutral, to refuse to take sides in a dispute; often used in a derogatory way about someone who lacks the courage to decide: “The councilman is afraid he'll lose votes if he takes sides on the zoning issue, but he can't sit on the fence forever.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“They need to be condemned and there’s no place to sit on the fence here: You’re either condemning it or you’re condoning it.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2023

"In the coming days, the Russian market should trade in a narrow band - investors are likely to sit on the fence hoping for more clarity," BCS said.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2022

Ukraine was “trying to sit on the fence and avoid any sensitive issues with Beijing, and expected the same from China,” he said.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2022

The match itself may also sit on the fence.

From The Guardian • Jun. 20, 2020

"You certainly don't sit on the fence when you paint."

From December Love by Hichens, Robert Smythe

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.