as in to shake
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 weasel
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Trying to weasel things by providing additional levels is abhorrent.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Skunks are mammals that are more like weasels than rodents.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weasel
Verb
One of Wishman’s most Sapphic films is this gritty black-and-white sexploitation shocker about assassins who weasel their way into an apartment shared by two lesbians in order to kill a foreign dignitary.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Trying to weasel things by providing additional levels is abhorrent.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
Armadillo, mink, weasel and otter all hold varying degrees of risk associated with consumption.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Skunks are mammals that are more like weasels than rodents.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weasel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weasel
Verb
-
The dust-up came during a break in the proceedings, when activist and Army veteran Ivan Raiklin approached former cop Michael Fanone to shake his hand.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The critters who drop in or call the space home range from monarch butterflies, ladybugs and lizards to hummingbirds and bushtits, skunks, opossums and even the occasional mountain lion.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Thiols are responsible for the distinctive aromas of skunk spray and ripe durian; they’re also added to natural gas to provide a detectable rotten-egg smell at even trace levels.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hundreds of attendees pushed through the crowds, weaving and ducking to find entrances to vendor exhibits.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
When the sun is just skimming across the horizon and ducking behind other peaks, all the heat that the sun baked into the snow and rocks during the day evaporates—fast.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Chirring insects, cool eels, darting dice snakes in the Volga delta.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Were there lots of snakes around?—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With the rising prices of storage and memory, this may be a larger hit on the bill of materials than in previous years, depending on how much Samsung has hedged on silicon.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Everyone from tech moguls to hedge funders wants to be at the center of American decision-making, and where better than the capital?—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a sneak-peek clip from the first episode of the fourth and final season of the Disney+ show, Ryan's sexuality was finally confirmed as the character was seen kissing another man.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
-
When the Niners and ‘Hawks meet on Saturday, there will be no secrets, no new identities, no sneak attacks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When leaders equivocate, moral clarity collapses into tribal calculation, and the targeting of Jews is treated as unfortunate instead of urgent.—
Jay Rosenzweig,
Time,
14 Dec. 2025
-
While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Back then, America feared an armada of Soviet bombers laden with A-bombs barreling over the horizon, dodging our few anti-aircraft batteries, and dropping their deadly payloads on undefended American cities.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Dickey doesn’t believe Tullis-Joyce left to dodge a competition for the job.—
Steve Goldberg,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weasel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weasel. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
