weasel words
Britishplural noun
Other Word Forms
- weasel-worded adjective
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
Rasmussen’s promotion of its vaccine-related balderdash is replete with weasel words, as if the firm is opting for plausible deniability.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2024
"The field is replete with weasel words and unfortunately one of those is consciousness," says Prof Stevan Harnad of Quebec University.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2024
“Escaping accountability based on weasel words and technical language, like not being a ‘beneficiary’ of WHO assistance is unacceptable,” said Larry Gostin, chair of global health at Georgetown University.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2023
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.
