as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the candidate equivocated as long as he could on controversial issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in ambiguity
deliberate evasion in speech
your equivocation when asked where you were last night is not reassuring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguousness
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the equivocation of the last line of the poem, "That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocate
Chris Morris, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024
Asked in a recent interview with Vanity Fair if homophobia limited his opportunities, Lane equivocated a bit and then offered one specific example.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The Rios-Pineda Court observed, with little question or equivocation, that because the child was born in the United States, the child was in fact a citizen.
—Madison Czopek, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Verb
Hoping to entice equivocating consumers, retailers already have spent weeks bombarding customers with ads and early offers.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024
Asked in a recent interview with Vanity Fair if homophobia limited his opportunities, Lane equivocated a bit and then offered one specific example.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
The debate has pitted New York mayor, Eric Adams, who has condemned the murder without equivocation, against a significant groundswell of support for the alleged murderer.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The Rios-Pineda Court observed, with little question or equivocation, that because the child was born in the United States, the child was in fact a citizen.
—Madison Czopek, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocate
Verb
-
Trying to weasel things by providing additional levels is abhorrent.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
20 Nov. 2024
-
But when Douglas doesn’t invite her to the business dinner, the show suddenly takes a turn into wacky sitcom territory, with Maxine trying to weasel her way into Douglas’s business to meet and invite the Prince to the Beach Ball.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2024
Noun
-
Be sure to make these documents easy to access and refer to for reference, which will reduce ambiguity and misinterpretations.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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This spring, the London theatre shimmers with this kind of ambiguity—real king, false king, portrait, mirror.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The United States Geological Survey reports that light shaking could be felt as far southeast as Bursa, which is approximately 97 miles south of Istanbul.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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On Tuesday, not so much, the Lakers showing their clear dominance in every area backed by a legendarily springtime loud home crowd that annually shakes, rattles and rolls.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For others, skipping the ID shuffle could be a welcome upgrade for frequent fliers navigating busy hubs.—
Iona Brannon,
AFAR Media,
24 Apr. 2025
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Netflix disclosed the board shuffles along with first-quarter results, with revenue and profit figures topping Wall Street expectations.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
16 Nov. 2023
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By condensing Balzac’s opus to a few paragraphs, Barthelme was having a laugh not just at his predecessor’s genteel circumlocution—his tendency to describe buildings and manufacturing procedures and family trees in lavish detail—but also at the conventions of novelistic mimesis itself.—
Giles Harvey,
The New York Review of Books,
23 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Equivocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocate. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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