pussyfoot

verb

ˈpu̇-sē-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce pussyfoot (audio)
Definition of pussyfootnext
1
as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position politicians who try to pussyfoot around hot-button issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner pussyfooting through the hallways in the middle of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfoot
  1. weasel
  2. lurk
  3. sneak
  4. mouse
  5. slip
  6. slide
Verb
  • From there, the Giants remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie until the 10th, though San Francisco’s relievers had to weasel their way out of trouble to keep the game tied.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
  • After Felix invites him to his family’s palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down.
    — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Definition of weasel
Verb
  • Sub hunting goes on all the time, usually to keep crews in practice as well as to monitor the locations and capabilities of potentially hostile boats lurking beneath the waves.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe dark oxygen would allow for other multicellular creatures to lurk even deeper in the rock.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Take a look at the ideas that inspired the game and some of the inside jokes that were snuck in.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Her earliest tour, a virtual show streamed over Zoom during the pandemic, became so popular that fans started sharing links so others could sneak in and watch alongside them.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Police continued searching the home and found rat and mouse feces throughout, rotting food on the kitchen counter covered with flies and other bugs, and maggots in standing water in the kitchen sink.
    — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of mouse
Verb
  • Odunze caught the pass near the right sideline and slipped free into the open field.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some may be automatic, while others require the user to slip a cap over the end or rotate a knob.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of slip
Verb
  • Edelman, who perfectly timed his run, slipped between a pair of defenders for a sliding first-touch goal, off a cross played by Conrad Wallem, from the center of the penalty box.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Upon arrival, officers found that the rear sliding glass door of the home had been damaged, which the suspect used to gain entry to the home.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of slide

Browse Nearby Words

pussycats
pussyfoot
pussyfooted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pussyfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfoot. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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