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"hesitation" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often reluctance (10 letters).
Definitions
the act of pausing uncertainly
Word origin
From Latin haesitātiōnem, accusative singular of haesitātiō (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesitō (“hesitate”). Displaced native Old English ġewand.
Used in a sentence
“She carried out the order without hesitation.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer2 curated clues
01“Uncertain pause”10 letters
02“Pause of doubt”10 letters
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