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
Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For what seems like the first time, Casper equivocates.
—Gary Greenberg, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The rest of the statement was full of equally cowardly equivocation.
—Sahar Mustafah
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Verb
Expect Hamas to try to equivocate, buy time, soften language, and insist on impossible guarantees while preserving levers of power.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For what seems like the first time, Casper equivocates.
—Gary Greenberg, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
In the clarity of her equivocation.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The rest of the statement was full of equally cowardly equivocation.
—Sahar Mustafah
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for equivocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocate
Verb
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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
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But probabilities are less sexy than proclamations, ambiguities less attractive than assurances—or so the rising number of storm-hyping accounts on social media seem to suggest.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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Detectives eventually identify one man as a likely suspect, though he is ultimately not charged, resulting in ambiguity that continues to this day.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This should have people across the country absolutely shook.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
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The officer in the black beanie appears to shake a pepper spray canister toward protesters.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The shuffle includes killing off Tesla’s two oldest vehicles, the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, to make room for production of its Optimus humanoid robots.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
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The underlying notion that you can easily get lost in the shuffle if your devotees aren’t consistently seeing and hearing from you animates a modern pop landscape that’s overflowing with appeals for sustained attention.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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 1 Feb. 2026.
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