as in pretending
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Dissimilar Words
as in weaseling
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the candidate equivocated as long as he could on controversial issues
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocating
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Yet Hiller’s latest equivocating mea culpa, with the now-familiar language of hardship and defeatism so unbecoming of a professional hockey team, rang unconvincing.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
But the judge’s equivocating ruling in that piracy case created a loophole, according to Anthropic’s lawyers.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocating
Adjective
-
There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The tech entrepreneur, who founded a fitness app and a financial management platform catering to young and wealthy customers, also characterizes Khanna’s stock trading as hypocritical since the congressman campaigns on easing inequality.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The permanent observer of the 22-nation Arab League, Maged Abdelaziz, suggested Israel was being hypocritical in justifying its military attack by saying it was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.—
Edith M. Lederer,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There is the interceptors overhead, there's the loud booms, hotel windows shaking and alerts going off on your phone at all hours of the day and night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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The energy was on 10 from the moment Lil Fame and Billy Danze stepped onstage, bass shaking the walls like sheet metal in high wind.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sailing aboard The Hispaniola, Jim and Bess are caught between the charming, terrifying pirate Long John Silver, and the debonair, duplicitous British agent Aaron Graham.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
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In his account, an international order run by a single power would hinder Russia and produce needless conflict, especially when that power was as self-serving and duplicitous as America.—
Alan Cullison,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing kills momentum faster than waffling on a big decision.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Patricia Serio is waffling between Saint Xavier and Judson University to finish her degree.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But this initiative struck many of us as insincere from the beginning — one committee to co-sign the death sentence, another to swing the ax.—
Randy Ribay,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Which is not to say that Amodei is being insincere.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Pearce took several evasive turns to get away from the officers, including cutting through a Chevron gas station and heading north on 102nd Avenue, according to the report.—
David Goodhue
March 12,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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In an era of diffuse, evasive conditions — autoimmune syndromes, long Lyme, long Covid — gout is unmistakable.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s something untrustworthy about Walter.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
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The last thing Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta want is the organization to be labeled untrustworthy in negotiations and trade talks.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Equivocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocating. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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