1
as in weaseling
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
politicians who try to pussyfoot around hot-button issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 pussyfooting
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
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Alright Genesis, the time for pussyfooting is over.
—New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfooting
Verb
-
Nothing kills momentum faster than waffling on a big decision.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Patricia Serio is waffling between Saint Xavier and Judson University to finish her degree.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, The Boroughs followed a group of older misfits at a retirement community who become entangled in an otherworldly mystery lurking beneath them.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
-
The breakthrough points to a supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our galaxy.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The former president was caught sneaking Obama what was later said to be a cough drop during the funeral.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
However, in February, Batula broke up with her husband, Kyle Cooke, and was rumored to be sneaking around with Wilson until they got caught by fans who spotted them out.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Alpha Camp made decent time, even with Leiya slipping on rocks in the river.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Bad Bunny has been slipping into the sleek thong sandal—styling it casually with jeans and a hoodie, or dressed up with a chic floral dress.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Four minutes later South Korea created its best chance to score tonight but a sliding Lee Kang-in could not get his foot on a beautiful cross into the box.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
In the fourth inning, Witt attempted to make a sliding grab on his knees on the infield dirt.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pussyfooting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfooting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
