sat on the fence
Avoided choosing sides
To sit on the fence is to avoid committing to either side of a dispute or decision.
The image is of someone perched on a boundary rather than standing on one side or the other.
Often carries a mildly critical tone, suggesting someone is being evasive or indecisive when a position is called for: When asked about the merger, she sat on the fence.
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- wait and seeDefer until clarity comes
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
- neutralityState of taking sides
- middle of the roadUncontroversially mainstream stance
ambivalence · tactfulness · equivocation · play it safe · sit tight · diplomacy · procrastination · vacillation · hedge your bets · uncertainty · passivity · noncommittal · compromise · wavering · indecisiveness · straddling · have it both ways · discretion
sat on the fencetook a stand
committed · chose sides · took the plunge · drew a line in the sand · bit the bullet
sat on the fencegot involved
took action · waded in · rolled up one's sleeves · got one's hands dirty · engaged