1
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the evidence that this latest diet really results in lasting weight loss is certainly equivocal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
he responded to the reporter's questions with equivocal answers or refusals to comment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsure
having a mixture of opposing feelings
a number of people are clearly equivocal about allowing casino gambling in the state
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocal
In the past, following a police massacre, authorities would appear before television cameras to offer equivocal statements about the events and promise investigations into the excessive use of force.
—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
However, for higher dose, systemic estrogen therapy — which is absorbed into the blood stream — including estrogen pills, Christmas and other menopause experts are more equivocal about removing the black box warning.
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Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
But both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the current Court has been suggesting.
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Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
When a professor creates an innovative course using AI, should it be flagged with an asterisk in the schedule of classes, akin to sports records where the proper credit for performance is equivocal?
—
Nate Bennett,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
However, for higher dose, systemic estrogen therapy — which is absorbed into the blood stream — including estrogen pills, Christmas and other menopause experts are more equivocal about removing the black box warning.
—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
But both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the current Court has been suggesting.
—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
When a professor creates an innovative course using AI, should it be flagged with an asterisk in the schedule of classes, akin to sports records where the proper credit for performance is equivocal?
—
Nate Bennett,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocal
Adjective
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During oral arguments, attorneys for both trans athletes had questionable moments.
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If the debt isn't actually yours, is too old to be legally enforceable or is otherwise questionable, negotiating may do more harm than good.
Adjective
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Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
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Without a unified, clean, and accessible data structure, AI outputs quickly become ambiguous, hallucinated, and diluted, deepening the clarity crisis rather than resolving it.
Adjective
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Standards are high at the Etihad Stadium after 10 years of Guardiola and Manchester City is counting on Maresca being the right man to keep this going even if many of the club’s own supporters are unsure.
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People are unsure about the industry for good reason, with everything happening with AI and in the world.
Adjective
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The detective was dubious that a rape had occurred, according to his preliminary report.
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In multiple lawsuits that are now combined, Nutex investors accuse the company of hiding its partnership with HaloMD and say the dubious arrangement exposes the company to further legal risks.
Adjective
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His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.
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The Drama stirred debate on social media over its cryptic marketing campaign that did not directly divulge the main focus of the film.
Adjective
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The critical reaction was more ambivalent.
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South Korean public opinion, especially among younger generations, has also grown increasingly ambivalent about the potentially enormous economic and social costs reunification would entail.
Adjective
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However, disputable refereeing decisions, especially in the matches against Italy and Spain, led to allegations that South Korea may have benefited from favorable officiating.
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Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.
Adjective
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The ruling leaves trans student-athletes and their advocates feeling angry and afraid.
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Pregnant mothers are afraid of their babies not being able to have a home.
Cite this Entry
“Equivocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocal. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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