weasel out

verb

1. to go back on a commitment

2. to evade a responsibility, esp in a despicable manner

Idioms and Phrases

Back out of a situation or commitment, especially in a sneaky way. For example, I'd love to weasel out of serving on the board. This expression alludes to the stealthy hunting and nesting habits of the weasel, a small, slender-bodied predator. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville posted on X on Saturday: "The best thing President Trump has done so far is kick that Ukrainian weasel out of the WH."

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I had planned everything I would say so that he couldn’t weasel out of it.

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The world’s wealthiest person originally struck the deal in the spring of 2022, realized within a few weeks that he had committed a grievous mistake, and then spent the summer and early fall trying to weasel out of the $44 billion acquisition.

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Should McCarthy try to weasel out of his pledge, though, he’s unlikely to find a sympathetic audience in Donald Trump.

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Of all the recent cases being built against Trump, this one seems to be the most solid and will be difficult for him to weasel out of.

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Related Words

• abolish 
• abrogate 
• annul 
• cancel 
• dismantle 
• invalidate 
• lift 
• overturn 
• quash 
• renege 
• repeal 
• retract 
• reverse 
• revoke 
• set aside 
• void