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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the intriguing equivocalness of her statement kept everyone guessing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocal
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2025
His contribution to the Wende exhibition stands out as a sweeping portrait of a surveillance state and the paradoxically equivocal picture that arises when hundreds of millions of video cameras are monitoring everything that happens in public.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Other experts, like Human Rights Watch founder Aryeh Neier are less equivocal, pointing to Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid flows into and through Gaza as a clear marker of a genocide.
—William Hartung, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Allison Gill, legal director at Global Labor Justice, a workers’ rights nonprofit, is less equivocal, however.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Adjective
Some conservative deficit hawks are much less equivocal.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2025
His contribution to the Wende exhibition stands out as a sweeping portrait of a surveillance state and the paradoxically equivocal picture that arises when hundreds of millions of video cameras are monitoring everything that happens in public.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Other experts, like Human Rights Watch founder Aryeh Neier are less equivocal, pointing to Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid flows into and through Gaza as a clear marker of a genocide.
—William Hartung, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Allison Gill, legal director at Global Labor Justice, a workers’ rights nonprofit, is less equivocal, however.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocal
Adjective
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Or couldn’t, thanks in part to questionable player usage by coach Jim Hiller.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
The deportation of Venezuelan men to a hellish mega-prison in El Salvador, on the questionable suspicion of gang affiliations, based on the presence of tattoos: flowers, a soccer logo, an autism-awareness ribbon.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
Storm clouds loomed over Europe, and Adolf Hitler's ambitions were not ambiguous for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear—especially U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Timing for the start of production is likewise ambiguous.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
According to Priestley, many young people reach adulthood unsure about how money functions, how relationships grow and how systems interact.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Officials are unsure of where exactly Cosmos 482 will land.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Noun
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This strategic refocus replaces surface-level interaction with meaningful inquiry and a leadership model that treats complexity and ambiguity as assets, not obstacles.—
Mary Hemphill, PhD,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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His appeal was rooted in his authenticity, unpredictability and ideological ambiguity.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Mary’s fixation on commemorating James’ dubious talents.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
2 May 2025
-
Together, these studies indicate that boys may be especially sensitive to the quality of early caregiving—an argument to both increase social support for families and resist dubious assumptions that boys do not require substantial affectionate nurturing.—
Joshua Coleman,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The crime scene was made more terrifying by a cryptic message the killer scrawled across a wall near the victims that demanded drug money.—
David Schutz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2025
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Fans immediately took the cryptic message as a subtle reference to the current state of their friendship, as the singer and fashion pro have been besties for over 30 years.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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The Timepiece Arkansas has always been somewhat ambivalent about the use of alcohol.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 May 2025
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Decades later, even the FBI is ambivalent about whether any of the men successfully reached shore.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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An exclusive preview clip of Thursday's new episode, above, shows that no one's felt the heat more than Trisha Mann-Grant's delectable villain, Leslie (whose real name is Dana, but also operates under the aliases Sherry and Anna), and her conflicted daughter Eva (Ambyr Michelle).—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Her pencil-thin villain is only redeemed by Geraldine Viswanathan’s performance as her conflicted assistant, whose dilemma is at the core of a movie about the double-sided power that comes with a sense of purpose.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Equivocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocal. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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