prevaricate
verb (used without object)
to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
prevaricating
-
present participleof prevaricate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
After days of conflicting statements and prevaricating, he sent Leavitt out to offer a message that was sure to make everyone mad: He will decide in "two weeks."
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025
Following years of prevaricating, Germany pledged to quit nuclear power definitively after Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster sent radiation spewing into the air and terrifying the world.
From Reuters ● Apr. 14, 2023
It made sense to him why defendants lied, he would say, but to find a cop prevaricating felt like a personal betrayal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2021
There was no prevaricating; no ifs, ands, or buts; no maybes.
From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2018
"Please tell me exactly what you've noticed," he said, as if he were a police sergeant and she were some reluctant and slightly prevaricating witness.
From The Dark Tower by J. H. Gardner Soper
