weasel words
Britishplural noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of weasel words
C20: alluding to the weasel's supposed ability to suck an egg out of its shell without seeming to break the shell
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.
Although Kennedy repeatedly claimed that he's not anti-vaccine throughout his hearing, his statements about vaccines are loaded with weasel words and caveats that are common deflection strategies from vaccine denialists.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2025
“The U.S. has limited itself to blatant weasel words claiming that Julian can ‘seek to raise’ the First Amendment if extradited,” his wife, Stella Assange, said.
From Seattle Times ● May 19, 2024
We’re all used to campaign promises and weasel words, and we’re pretty good at seeing through that because we’ve had a lot of practice.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 28, 2020
Thatcher later accused them of "weasel words whereby they transmuted their betrayal into frank advice and concern for my fate".
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2016
Had Goldstein settled for these weasel words, she would have undermined her analysis before it began.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
