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.
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
“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
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
But even as I wrote that sentence, I lost count of all the weasel words and conditional phrases it contains.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
