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tergiversate

verb

ˈtər-jə-vər-ˌsāt How to pronounce tergiversate (audio)
Definition of tergiversatenext
as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position shamelessly tergiversating, the witness replied, "Well, it depends upon what your definition of 'truth' is"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tergiversate
  1. weasel
  2. equivocate
Verb
  • In fact, the former Duchess is said to be returning to the UK and trying to weasel her way back into the royal family.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of weasel
Verb
  • The White House has reportedly equivocated its support of Means in recent weeks.
    — Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Brooks, for his part, equivocated … A bout of frantic rebranding ensued.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of equivocate
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tequilas
tergiversate
tergiversated
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Cite this Entry

“Tergiversate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tergiversate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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