Synonym Chooser

How does the verb palter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of palter are equivocate, fib, lie, and prevaricate. While all these words mean "to tell an untruth," palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.

a swindler paltering with his investors

When is equivocate a more appropriate choice than palter?

While the synonyms equivocate and palter are close in meaning, equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.

equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors

When is it sensible to use fib instead of palter?

The words fib and palter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.

fibbed about the price of the new suit

When can lie be used instead of palter?

Although the words lie and palter have much in common, lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.

lied about where he had been

How do prevaricate and lie relate to one another, in the sense of palter?

Prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.

during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of palter Another subtype is paltering, where the models use a selective true statement to mislead the human. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Aug. 2025 Rather than wait to share the witches’ paltering pronouncements with Lady M (Indira Varma) in person, the thane of Glamis chooses to send word to his wife in advance of his return from battle. Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palter
Verb
  • Even one addition at the deadline is typically unlikely for an NFL team, though the Patriots have dealt away two players in Keion White and Kyle Dugger.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Lobbying expenditures from firms linked to the Chinese PLA have intensified as deliberations in Congress have progressed surrounding the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual piece of legislation designed to fund America’s military and deal broadly with national security matters.
    Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hunter has set himself a very fine amount of emotional and physical space within which to work, and there’s pleasure in watching Metcalf and Stock negotiate the tiptoeing way Sarah and Ethan grow closer.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The houses, often apartments inside the city’s tall residential buildings, strike so much fear among residents that anyone willing to live there can negotiate hefty discounts in one of the world’s most expensive property markets.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Antitrust law applies, because the rules are not collectively bargained with a union, and the NCAA—including its member institutions—enjoys monopoly control over the labor market.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • What were the musicians bargaining for?
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With the Constitution in final form, few had the appetite to haggle over the provisions of a bill of rights.
    Donald Nieman, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
  • During that period, the most significant reform related to drug pricing came in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which empowered Medicare to haggle prices with drug companies.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Palter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palter. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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