tergiversates

verb

present tense third-person singular of tergiversate
as in weasels
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 tergiversates
  1. shakes
  2. hedges
Verb
  • Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kuomintang (KMT) party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Their first and only home exhibition game arrives Friday night, when the Denver Broncos and former Saints coach Sean Payton (shakes fist) pay a preseason visit.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shakes
Verb
  • Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of hedges
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Tergiversates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tergiversates. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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