palter

American  

[pawl-ter] / ˈpɔl tər /

verb (used without object)

1. to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.

2. to bargain with; haggle.

3. to act carelessly; trifle.

---

palter British  

/ ˈpɔːltə /

verb

1. to act or talk insincerely

2. to haggle

---

Other Word Forms

• palterer noun

Etymology

Origin of palter

1530–40 in sense “to speak indistinctly,” perhaps alteration of falter in same sense, with p- from palsy ¹

Example Sentences

You can equivocate, or dissemble, or palter, or mislead, or prevaricate, or fib, or perjure.

From Washington Post • May 3, 2021

"And if you don't abide by those, then there's no reason you would ever need to palter, because you could just say whatever you want."

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2017

"And if you don’t abide by those, then there’s no reason you would ever need to palter, because you could just say whatever you want."

From Washington Post • Dec. 29, 2016

To palter with reform, to listen to a word about the rights of the masses, was to his mind to parley with anarchy.

From Starvecrow Farm by Weyman, Stanley J.

For the very first time in his life, I suppose, Sutton found himself called to account without a chance either to smile or to sulk, to palter or to play at clever tricks.

From Where the Pavement Ends by Russell, John