1
as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
politicians who try to pussyfoot around hot-button issues
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Recent Examples of pussyfoot
Fragments of story are fed to us, but there’s no forward thrust, just a lot of pussyfooting around.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Alright Genesis, the time for pussyfooting is over.
—New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026
Several of these involve a furtive religious cult known as the Scars — its adherents have a way of pussyfooting through the forest and doing absolutely horrible things to nonbelievers.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Delivering the News Dear Delivering: Here’s how: Stop pussyfooting around the subject and be completely honest with your mother.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
No less than Werner Herzog remade Murnau’s masterpiece in 1979, starring Klaus Kinski as the bald-headed bloodsucker; rather than pussyfoot around the whole rip-off-or-not aspect, the former doubles down and names the character Count Dracula.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The results of this pussyfooting around are mixed, for everyone involved.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In an interview that aired on NBC News this week, DeSantis for the first time finally stopped pussyfooting around whether Trump won in 2020.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Aug. 2023
Yet other people want to pussyfoot around.
—Ed Symkus, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2020
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Alright Genesis, the time for pussyfooting is over.
—New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026
Several of these involve a furtive religious cult known as the Scars — its adherents have a way of pussyfooting through the forest and doing absolutely horrible things to nonbelievers.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Delivering the News Dear Delivering: Here’s how: Stop pussyfooting around the subject and be completely honest with your mother.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
No less than Werner Herzog remade Murnau’s masterpiece in 1979, starring Klaus Kinski as the bald-headed bloodsucker; rather than pussyfoot around the whole rip-off-or-not aspect, the former doubles down and names the character Count Dracula.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The results of this pussyfooting around are mixed, for everyone involved.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In an interview that aired on NBC News this week, DeSantis for the first time finally stopped pussyfooting around whether Trump won in 2020.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Aug. 2023
Yet other people want to pussyfoot around.
—Ed Symkus, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfoot
Verb
-
Microsoft now feels that OpenAI is trying to weasel its way around this clause, with both companies’ lawyers fighting for weeks over the latter’s agreement with Amazon, sources told the FT.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
19 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
-
Saturn Saturn, lurking near the border of the constellations Cetus the Whale and Pisces the Fishes, sneaks up in the east around the start of morning twilight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
No one wants to be abrupt and just hang up, but there might also be some one-upmanship lurking below the surface.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Much like his Game 1 game-winning goal, Mattias Samuelsson used a screen from the towering Thompson to sneak a long-range shot past Jeremy Swayman on the short side.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Keeping the keyboard and mouse close to avoid overreaching. Taking a brief movement or stretching break every 30 to 60 minutes.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
18 June 2025
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Transitioning to mouse mode by simply placing the controller on a table made a potentially confusing input so much more intuitive.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Disney shares slipped around 1% on the news in Tuesday trading.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While the seven-round draft feels exhaustive each year, the truth is good prospects, even Hall of Fame caliber ones, can slip through.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Workers mixed mortar and drove a scissor lift to the edge of a concrete plinth surmounted by four steel rods—supports for the Buddha, whose sandstone body would slide down them in four parts, like beads in an abacus.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Cleanup-hitting Ryan Vilade went down on a knee to push a bunt toward first, scoring a sliding and jubilant Camineo ahead of the throw.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pussyfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfoot. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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