Explanation
To do something evasively is to do it in a round about, indirect, or slightly sneaky way. When a politician responds to a question evasively, she avoids a straightforward, honest answer. When you speak evasively, you come very close to lying — you're not being forthright, but are instead skirting around what's true. A criminal in court might answer a lawyer's questions evasively, and someone who's using a fake name might behave evasively when asked about his history. If you move evasively, you avoid being caught, and the Latin root, evadere, means "to get away or escape."
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.
An unremarkable White House staffer went on TV and answered a question evasively.
From Slate • Apr. 8, 2025
There are technological and biological wonders inside the sleek San Gabriel offices of Seamus Blackley, which are evasively named — intentionally so — Pacific Light & Hologram.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025
US Navy warships fired Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, which are GPS-guided and can be programmed to fly evasively, the US military says.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2024
The two got into Ms. Tambur’s car and drove to Niagara Falls; the DOJ alleges that the car stopped frequently and was driven evasively, purportedly to try and lose surveillance trailing them.
From Washington Times • Aug. 12, 2023
“On the other side of the river,” I said evasively.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
