as in weaseled
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
she waffled when asked what she thought of her sister's new boyfriend
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Recent Examples of waffled
The now-familiar push-button ignition has waffled between feeling premium and mundane, which is all to say that there’s no perfect formula for a car’s control scheme.
—
Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
For one, action bias is not always bad — sometimes things genuinely need to get done, not waffled over.
—Aiko Bethea, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
During that stretch, Davis has waffled between hopeless and hopeful on a weekly basis.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In January, Meta fired 10 percent of the Reality Labs unit, or about 1,500 employees, and this month waffled on shutting the whole thing down.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Dietary recommendations have waffled over time.
—Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Paterno waffled before deciding to stay in State College.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
But state lawmakers, facing their own deficit, have waffled over continuing the initiative.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
For one, action bias is not always bad — sometimes things genuinely need to get done, not waffled over.
—Aiko Bethea, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
During that stretch, Davis has waffled between hopeless and hopeful on a weekly basis.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In January, Meta fired 10 percent of the Reality Labs unit, or about 1,500 employees, and this month waffled on shutting the whole thing down.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Dietary recommendations have waffled over time.
—Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Paterno waffled before deciding to stay in State College.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
But state lawmakers, facing their own deficit, have waffled over continuing the initiative.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waffled
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Tolle shook off his short last outing and did his part to keep the Orioles off the board.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Waffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waffled. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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