beat around the bush

Cultural  

1. To avoid getting to the point of an issue: “Your worries have nothing to do with the new proposal. Stop beating around the bush, and cast your vote!”

---

beat around the bush Idioms  

1. Also, beat about the bush. Approach indirectly, in a roundabout way, or too cautiously. For example, Stop beating around the bush—get to the point. This term, first recorded in 1572, originally may have alluded to beating the bushes for game.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beat around the bush

Dabo Swinney, who will be leading Clemson against LSU on Saturday, didn’t beat around the bush.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

"The next few games are about him, I'm not going to beat around the bush," Coady said.

From BBC ● May 3, 2025

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, man: We want to win the Super Bowl,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

Let’s not beat around the bush about it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022

Attempts to beat around the bush made her turn prickly.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• baffle
• confound
• dodge
• evade
• flee
• foil
• frustrate
• outrun
• outwit
• puzzle
• shun
• stall
• stonewall
• thwart

---