Synonyms of equivocate

equivocate 1 of 2

verb

i-ˈkwi-və-ˌkāt 

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

• weasel
• shake
• dodge
• hedge
• evade
• waffle
• pussyfoot
• duck
• fudge
• eschew
• beat around the bush
• tergiversate
• elude
• shun
• hem and haw
• straddle the fence
• sidestep
• shirk
• cavil
• circumvent
• quibble
• flip-flop
• bypass
• skirt
• yo-yo
• straddle

equivocation

2 of 2

noun

i-ˌkwi-və-ˈkā-shən 

1

as in ambiguity

deliberate evasion in speech

your equivocation when asked where you were last night is not reassuring

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambiguity
• shuffle
• circumlocution
• tergiversation
• ambiguousness
• quibbling
• murkiness
• opacity
• obscurity
• nebulousness
• equivocalness
• obscureness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• frankness
• openness
• directness
• candor
• forthrightness
• straightforwardness
• plainness
• plumpness
• openheartedness

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

• ambiguity
• ambiguousness
• mysteriousness
• uncertainty
• mystery
• murkiness
• opaqueness
• opacity
• inscrutability
• nebulousness
• complexity
• obliqueness
• obliquity
• nebulosity
• darkness
• obscurity
• vagueness
• equivocalness
• fuzziness
• inscrutableness
• indistinctness
• indefiniteness
• depth
• indirectness
• haziness
• dimness
• faintness
• cloudiness
• fogginess
• impenetrability
• mistiness
• incomprehensibility
• obtuseness
• difficulty
• circuity
• shade
• shadow
• complication
• profoundness
• abstruseness
• reconditeness
• deepness
• incomprehensibleness
• circuitousness
• abstrusity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clarity
• clearness
• obviousness
• certainty
• intelligibility
• plainness
• distinctness
• brightness
• surety
• legibility
• comprehensibility
• exactness
• definiteness
• openness
• incision
• lucidity
• directness
• explicitness
• perspicuity
• incisiveness
• self-evidence
• forthrightness
• straightforwardness
• visibility
• obviousness
• readability
• tangibility
• lucidness
• palpability
• perspicuousness
• readableness
• tangibleness

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb equivocate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of equivocate are fib, lie, palter, and prevaricate. While all these words mean "to tell an untruth," equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.

equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors

When might fib be a better fit than equivocate?

While in some cases nearly identical to equivocate, fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.

fibbed about the price of the new suit

When is it sensible to use lie instead of equivocate?

While the synonyms lie and equivocate are close in meaning, lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.

lied about where he had been

Where would palter be a reasonable alternative to equivocate?

The synonyms palter and equivocate are sometimes interchangeable, but palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.

a swindler paltering with his investors

How do prevaricate and lie relate to one another, in the sense of equivocate?

Prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.

during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of equivocate

Verb

That’s 937 quarts…which equivocates to almost one ton per day. —Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026

The question of who stands against this darkness — and who equivocates — will be determined by civilizational identity. —Calev Myers, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026

Noun

Trump’s equivocation yesterday may be his attempt to steady an economy shaken by the war. —David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026

Today, many states stipulate that gestational surrogates have no parental rights—any equivocation on this matter would cause the country’s reproductive-tourism industry to collapse. —Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026