Synonyms of hem and haw

hem and haw

phrase

as in weasel

to avoid giving a definite answer or position

He kept hemming and hawing and I couldn't get a straight answer.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hem and haw

Bob hemmed and hawed and decided to use one of his Life Lines. — Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

While speaking to the publication with brothers Nick and Kevin, the DNCE frontman didn’t hem and haw when asked for his take on The Life of a Showgirl. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025

Two researchers from a big AI lab kept joining my conversations to hem and haw about the device. — Boone Ashworth Kylie Robison, Wired News, 8 Sep. 2025

As Paul hemmed and hawed about accepting the challenge, Drew McIntyre attacked Cena out of nowhere. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025