All words

equivocate

Meaning

To employ language that is open to multiple interpretations with the intention of deceiving or confusing others.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

When we asked him if he broke the window, he did not give a straight answer. He began to equivocate, speaking in a way that made it hard to know the truth. We could tell he wanted to hide something and did not want us to find out.

He didn't want to admit he'd broken the vase, so he chose to equivocate. He mumbled about the cat, then the strong wind, anything to avoid a direct answer, hoping we'd just forget he was even in the room.

His lawyer sat across the table, carefully choosing each word, trying to equivocate about what really happened that night. The detective leaned forward, sensing the half-truths and carefully measured responses, knowing he was being fed a carefully constructed story designed to hide something.

When Mom asked Billy if he ate the last cookie, he decided to equivocate. He told her, "Well, I saw a cookie, and now I don’t see a cookie, so maybe the cookie just left." Mom stared at him, cookie crumbs covering his face, clearly unimpressed by his attempt to deceive.

Barry the baker promised a "fluffy" cake. He used equivocal language, knowing his "fluffy" meant "airy to the point of collapse." When the birthday girl poked it, her finger went right through. Barry just shrugged, a true master of cake deception.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The politician was known for his tendency to equivocate when asked tough questions by reporters. His vague answers and ambiguous statements left many wondering about his true intentions and beliefs.

The politician, desperate to save face, equivocated in his answer, dodging the question with vague generalities. His opponents seized upon this, accusing him of trying to deceive the public.

As Sarah stumbled through the dark forest, she heard a voice calling out to her. It promised safety and warmth, but something about it felt wrong. The voice seemed to equivocate, its words twisting and turning like a snake ready to strike. Sarah's instincts screamed at her to run, but her fear kept her rooted in place. Finally, she saw the source of the voice emerge from the shadows - a figure with a twisted smile and eyes that glinted with malice. She realized too late that the voice had been nothing but a trap, designed to lure her into a nightmare.

The judge's face hardened as he listened to the witness equivocate. He could not determine if the man was lying or simply confused, but his evasive answers and vague gestures left a trail of doubt in his wake. The prosecutor's patience wore thin, and she accused the witness of intentionally deceiving the court. Fear flickered in the man's eyes as he realized the gravity of his actions.

In the land of Lyrion, the sorcerer Raelin was known for his silver tongue and clever tricks. Villagers whispered of his ability to equivocate, weaving words like a spider spins its web. When the king sought his counsel on matters of war, Raelin would speak in riddles, leaving the monarch bewildered and unsure. But beneath his honeyed words lay a darker truth - Raelin's intentions were not pure. He used his gift of equivocation to deceive and manipulate, all in service of his own twisted desires. And the people of Lyrion would soon learn the price of trusting a master of deception.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

When asked if he had seen the missing money, James began to equivocate, choosing his words carefully so he could avoid a clear answer. His refusal to speak plainly made everyone suspect he was hiding something and using confusing language on purpose.

He watched her eyes, trying to gauge the truth behind her carefully chosen words. She would equivocate, offering vague answers and shifting blame, her hesitation a palpable confession of deceit. I knew she was hiding something significant, her evasiveness confirming my suspicions.

During the tense negotiation, Marcus could tell his boss was trying to equivocate, dodging direct questions about the company's financial troubles with vague promises and carefully worded statements. The evasive language only heightened everyone's suspicions about what was really happening.

When asked if he had eaten the last cookie, Ben began to equivocate, waxing poetic about the general philosophy of desserts, the fleeting nature of pastries, and whether cookies even truly exist—anything, really, except admitting that he had crumbs on his shirt and frosting on his lip.

The politician, renowned for his slippery rhetoric, managed to equivocate his way through the press conference, leaving reporters more bewildered than informed. When questioned about his questionable campaign finance maneuvers, he artfully dodged direct answers, preferring to employ phrases that could be interpreted in multiple, highly convenient ways.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

When confronted about the missing funds, the manager began to equivocate, offering vague explanations and sidestepping direct questions. His habit of speaking ambiguously only fueled suspicion among the staff, who grew increasingly resentful of his attempts to deceive rather than provide an honest account.

He started to equivocate when the authorities questioned his whereabouts, his stammering answers a transparent ploy to obfuscate the truth. His patronizing tone, meant to placate, only betrayed his perfidy, a desperate attempt to evade culpability through insincere pronouncements.

The politician's obfuscation grew tiresome as he continued to equivocate about the budget proposal, dodging direct questions with vague statements that revealed nothing. His audience grew increasingly frustrated, recognizing his transparent attempt to avoid committing to any clear position.

When pressed about the mysterious disappearance of the office donuts, Greg would equivocate with the dexterity of a seasoned politician, deploying labyrinthine explanations about quantum pastry mechanics and invoking Schrödinger’s Bavarian cream until befuddled colleagues began doubting their own carbohydrate recollections.

Barnaby, a veritable poltroon, did his utmost to equivocate, his utterances a labyrinthine prevarication designed to obfuscate his flagrant dereliction of duty concerning the pilfered pheasant. He hoped his bombastic pronouncements, dripping with obfuscation, would make the bewailing constable desist.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

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