as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the candidate equivocated as long as he could on controversial issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in ambiguity
deliberate evasion in speech
your equivocation when asked where you were last night is not reassuring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguousness
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the equivocation of the last line of the poem, "That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocate
Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Grijalva’s swearing-in has sparked a partisan furor on Capitol Hill, as Johnson equivocates on the timeline ahead and Democrats accuse him of delaying the ceremony for political reasons.
—Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
And no — because strictly speaking there is no Electric Nebraska per se, notwithstanding Springsteen’s equivocations on the point (as reported in this magazine) and the fact that one disc in this five-disc set is titled Electric Nebraska.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Verb
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
Grijalva’s swearing-in has sparked a partisan furor on Capitol Hill, as Johnson equivocates on the timeline ahead and Democrats accuse him of delaying the ceremony for political reasons.
—Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Tuesday's result capped a tumultuous final month that saw national Republican condemnation, Democratic hesitation and equivocation, and a barrage of attack ads.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
And no — because strictly speaking there is no Electric Nebraska per se, notwithstanding Springsteen’s equivocations on the point (as reported in this magazine) and the fact that one disc in this five-disc set is titled Electric Nebraska.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocate
Verb
-
The pair cling to each other over the coming weeks despite R.C’s increasing mistrust of Peter and Jerry’s determination to weasel his way back into Agnes’ life.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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So if an extra (and questionable) ingredient weasels its way into the formula, and the supplement hits the market, there's not much the FDA can do besides send companies a warning letter to recall the supplement.—
Julia Forbes,
Wired News,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There could be value in that ambiguity about his bottom line.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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This ambiguity is in keeping with ISIS’s strategy, which is to maximize its reach without increasing its vulnerability to disclosure or disruption.—
Juliette Kayyem,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Palmer shook off the incident and continued leading a conversation about the new movie, which was the SXSW Film Festival opener Thursday night at the Paramount Theatre.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jaime Jacobs, operations director and vendor manager at 3rd Street Market Hall, said there'll be a shuffle of vendors inside the food hall.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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The programmatic shuffle is rendering parts of the old Artemis plan obsolete, leaving major ground hardware half-built and an uncertain future for the Gateway moon-orbiting space station under development.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But in terms of its actual content, the statement was pretty thin gruel, bristling with public relations-style circumlocution and vagueness.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
16 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Equivocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocate. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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