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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pussyfoot
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
What a crazy, zany coincidence that Harden pussyfooted around the controversy set off by Morey’s tweet.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan is gonna be mad at this short-ass lede, but today there’s no need to pussyfoot around.
—Michael Harriot, The Root, 15 June 2018
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
What a crazy, zany coincidence that Harden pussyfooted around the controversy set off by Morey’s tweet.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan is gonna be mad at this short-ass lede, but today there’s no need to pussyfoot around.
—Michael Harriot, The Root, 15 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfoot
Verb
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Despite her best efforts, Keith, who is serving life in prison, tries to weasel his way back into her life.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
22 July 2025
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One of Wishman’s most Sapphic films is this gritty black-and-white sexploitation shocker about assassins who weasel their way into an apartment shared by two lesbians in order to kill a foreign dignitary.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The moon will sweep close to the Pleiades open star cluster in the early morning hours of Aug. 16-17, with the ice giant Uranus lurking unseen nearby.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Large air vents hinted at Prodigy Corp’s lax security, perfect for lurking aliens.—
Daron James,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Frances Haugen, a Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, snuck over ten thousand pages of documents and internal messages out of Facebook headquarters.—
Noah Giansiracusa,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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When Wednesday later sneaks into Willow Hill to get her Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) out of the psychiatric hospital as well as uncover the outcast experiments happening in the basement, things go south when a monster breaks free.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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Since AirTags were made to track objects like keys and bags, slipping one into a shoe was just a matter of time.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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The open front is easy to slip on, while the eye-catching buttons allow for versatility of wear — bundle up or leave it open for an airy feel.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Horton slid into the No. 5 slot in the Cubs rotation, behind Matthew Boyd, Colin Ray, Shota Imanaga, and Javier Assad.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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But, by 2024, Russia had slid further down the Corruption Perceptions Index to 154th place, tied with Azerbaijan, Honduras and Lebanon.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pussyfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfoot. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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