Crossword Genius

He said, 'I'm in!', but paused before acting (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hesitated

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'paused before acting' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'he said i'm in' is the wordplay.
'said' becomes 'stated' ('state' can be a synonym of 'say').
'i'm' becomes 'i' (I've seen this in other clues).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'stated' going around 'i' is 'sitated'.
'he'+'sitated'='HESITATED'

'but' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hesitated that I've seen before include "Thought twice" , "held back" , "Was not keen" , "Paused, wavered" , "was indecisive" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.