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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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
For added drama, there was a disorderly stampede out of Treasuries and the U.S. dollar , banishing hope and leaving an upside air pocket that was partially filled when buyers seized on the Trump administration’s equivocal feints toward a de-escalation of trade aggressions.
—
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
While cancellation options are available in advance of the other three periods—broadly speaking, advertisers may back out of between 25% and 50% of their Q1, Q2 and Q3 upfront allocations—the ontological status of fall buys is a lot less equivocal.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Yet before the press arrived, Trump shared a different, less equivocal message with El Salvador’s dictatorial president, Nayib Bukele, who has already built sprawling maximum-security complexes in service of Trump’s scheme to deport noncitizens out of legal reach.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Trump himself has been equivocal about whether the US should defend Taiwan, has threatened to withdraw troops from US allies like South Korea and Japan as leverage in trade talks, and the US military has actually moved some valuable military resources out of East Asia.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
While cancellation options are available in advance of the other three periods—broadly speaking, advertisers may back out of between 25% and 50% of their Q1, Q2 and Q3 upfront allocations—the ontological status of fall buys is a lot less equivocal.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Yet before the press arrived, Trump shared a different, less equivocal message with El Salvador’s dictatorial president, Nayib Bukele, who has already built sprawling maximum-security complexes in service of Trump’s scheme to deport noncitizens out of legal reach.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Trump himself has been equivocal about whether the US should defend Taiwan, has threatened to withdraw troops from US allies like South Korea and Japan as leverage in trade talks, and the US military has actually moved some valuable military resources out of East Asia.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocal
Adjective
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Still, the faith was questionable.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Though Andre officially ended things with his other flame, Ashley (Jen Jacob), Dani's daughter's abduction has forced her to spend some questionable quality time with her ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett), who, it should be noted, shares a last name with Devon Winters' birth mother Yolanda.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The first three episodes currently streaming on Paramount+ reveal that the Tiva dynamic remains as ambiguous as ever.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
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The term has become both expansive and ambiguous.—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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She was frustrated by Highmark’s denials and unsure if her last resort, the external appeal, would yield results.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Daniel Palencia left Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Nationals after giving up 5 runs with a right posterior shoulder injury, and Counsell was still unsure the next day whether Palencia could return before the end of the regular season.—
Jared Wyllys,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many in Hollywood were dubious as to whether Universal and Amblin could reboot the Jurassic franchise for a third time, and birth a new trilogy more than three decades after Steven Spielberg’s dinos first stomped onto the big screen in 1993’s Jurassic Park.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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Besides there being considerable variation in terms of COVID-19 vaccine policy among our peers, which makes claims about alignment dubious, there’s the issue of insurance coverage.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These fish, known for their cryptic behavior, were identified as a neonative species, expanding their range naturally.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ars reached out to Google for an explanation, receiving a cryptic and somewhat unsatisfying reply.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Reactions to Breinberg’s victory were respectful and occasionally ambivalent.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Clearly, yellow lights arise when one partner is uncertain or ambivalent.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That time, a very disputable foul denied him.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Trump, who has sometimes seemed conflicted about the anti-vax sentiment in his coalition that prevents him from claiming more credit for Operation Warp Speed, has thoroughly capitulated to the political reality that Kennedy is a useful ally.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
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There's a lot of conflicted emotions.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Equivocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocal. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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