plead the Fifth
Americanidiom
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to refuse to provide testimony that may incriminate oneself in a court of law.
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to refuse to answer a question with the implication that the answer has consequences one wishes to avoid.
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 they did not plead the Fifth, opting instead to refuse to appear.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
His decision to plead the Fifth, according to people familiar with his legal strategy, was designed in part to avoid what his legal team believed was a perjury trap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Comer, previewing the deposition, said, "her lawyers have been saying she is going to plead the Fifth," referring to the US Fifth Amendment right to decline to speak to authorities.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2026
He anticipated that the Trumps would plead the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination as Eric Trump did for six hours.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2022
Alternatively, he could continue to cite a faulty recollection of key events or even plead the Fifth, potentially placing himself in further legal jeopardy.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2019
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.
