Equivocate (Verb)
Meaning
Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information.
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The politician's answer to the question about taxation policies was accused of being an equivocation to avoid committing to a specific stance.
- She did not want to hurt his feelings, so she began to equivocate when he asked if she liked his new hairstyle.
- Equivocating in a job interview about previous work experience can lead to serious consequences if discovered after hiring.
- His response to questions about the release date of the new product seemed to be a deliberate attempt to equivocate and avoid giving a straight answer.
- The lawyer's strategy was to get the witness to equivocate on key points in order to undermine their credibility in court.