as in weaseled
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the candidate equivocated as long as he could on controversial issues
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Recent Examples of equivocated
The White House has reportedly equivocated its support of Means in recent weeks.
—
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated … A bout of frantic rebranding ensued.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Mace equivocated, saying Collins would need to reread the quotes to her, which the journalist did.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated … A bout of frantic rebranding ensued.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooks, for his part, equivocated.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Mace equivocated, saying Collins would need to reread the quotes to her, which the journalist did.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocated
Verb
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Their struggles are why Buster Posey shook things up by calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
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Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
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For one, action bias is not always bad — sometimes things genuinely need to get done, not waffled over.—
Aiko Bethea,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
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During that stretch, Davis has waffled between hopeless and hopeful on a weekly basis.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Equivocated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocated. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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