equivocate
verb (used without object)
to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge.
equivocated
-
past participleof equivocate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof equivocate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
equivocateverb (used without object)to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But he has equivocated over how to get there, sometimes leaning into the threat of force, other times pushing the diplomacy.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
Even more striking, though, is that he really equivocated about becoming a citizen years later.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2023
Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and the president of Samaritan’s Purse, equivocated.
From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2022
However, many large and influential nations, including some democracies with which the United States has strong relationships, have equivocated.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 2, 2022
The Jesuits, being outshot in their own bow, complained that he out equivocated their equivocation, having a mental reservation deeper and further than theirs.
From Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth by Lucy Aikin
