Sit on the fence

How it is used

Informal and often critical of indecision. Distinguish reluctance to choose from a justified request for missing information.

Example sentences

1. We cannot sit on the fence forever; the supplier needs to know whether we accept the revised terms.

   A practical deadline makes continued avoidance of a position costly.

2. The director chose to sit on the fence while two departments argued over ownership of the project.

   The director avoids backing either competing department.

Common collocations

• continue to sit on the fence
• refuse to sit on the fence

Related terms

• consensusGeneral agreement among all or most members of a group about a decision or an opinion.
• proposalA formal plan or offer, written or spoken, that is put forward for others such as a client or management to consider and accept.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

• touch base
• heads-up
• on the same page
• keep me posted
• ballpark figure
• bandwidth
• circle back
• low-hanging fruit
• get the ball rolling
• back to the drawing board
• drop the ball
• on my radar