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hostile witness

British  

noun

  1. a witness who gives evidence against the party calling him

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

David Sherborne, for the claimants, repeatedly questioned the private investigator about the statement on Monday - having been given permission by the judge to treat him as a hostile witness and conduct a cross-examination.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Prosecutors had hoped to flip Weisselberg or company controller Jeffrey McConney, who was nearly labeled a hostile witness during the Trump Organization trial, but ultimately were unable to get their full cooperation.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2023

Prosecutors consider McConney a reluctant witness, and had sought unsuccessfully that he be declared a hostile witness so they could question him more aggressively.

From Reuters • Nov. 10, 2022

Frieden eventually declared the teen a hostile witness and allowed Kennedy to ask leading questions.

From Washington Post • Jul. 16, 2021

You haven't established Mr. Cruz as a hostile witness.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

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