SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
equivocate
verb
To use ambiguous or evasive language to avoid a clear commitment.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Avoid a clear commitment
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPrevaricate often suggests deliberate deception; equivocate specifically uses ambiguous or evasive language.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The equivocate family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
equivocationnoun
The use of ambiguous or evasive language to avoid a clear statement.
Evasive ambiguity
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The committee asked for a direct answer without equivocation.
During questions, a guest asked whether the organizers would sell attendees' contact details. The host began to obfuscate the issue with vague remarks about 'community opportunities.' Lina noticed the equivocation and repeated the question in plain language.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See equivocate in use
When asked for a firm date, the contractor began to equivocate.
Asked whether he would supply a costume by Thursday, a fictional theater volunteer began to equivocate, saying that Thursday could mean different things to different people.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license