1
as in weaseling
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 lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
pussyfooting through the hallways in the middle of the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pussyfooting
Alright Genesis, the time for pussyfooting is over.
—
New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026
New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfooting
Verb
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But her lover, the increasingly controlling and unhinged army corporal Don José, is gradually dimished to lurking in the shadows and hiding in crowds.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Who’s lurking in back of the building?—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing kills momentum faster than waffling on a big decision.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2026
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Patricia Serio is waffling between Saint Xavier and Judson University to finish her degree.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county's election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
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Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county’s election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before the pandemic shuttered the season, the Illini were in a slump, if not an entire freefall, a 16-5 start slipping to a 5-5 end.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The likes of Bannon (at one point arguing with Iranian opposition supporters about what was best for their country) and Matt Gaetz, the former member of Congress, warned that the United States risked slipping into a forever war.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pussyfooting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfooting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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