take the Fifth

Idioms  

1. Refuse to answer on the grounds that one may incriminate oneself, as in He took the Fifth on so many of the prosecutor's questions that we're sure he's guilty. This idiom refers to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself or herself. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Anwar said she did not appear in court “due to the nature and content of the petition,” as well as her decision to take the Fifth Amendment, she wrote in an email to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2025

“When people would take the Fifth over and over, we could kind of go, ugh,” one juror said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2023

"I did not take the Fifth for that testimony or any question within that testimony!"

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2022

Legal analyst Michael Cardoza noted that Peterson could take the Fifth Amendment, and a judge would then prevent the testimony.

From Fox News • Aug. 7, 2021

“There’s a perception that when you take the Fifth, you’re guilty,” said William Cowden, a former assistant United States Attorney now with   The Federal Practice Group a Washington-based employment law firm.

From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2015