'Equivocate' definitions:
Definition of 'equivocate'
From: WordNet
verb
Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information [syn: beat around the bush, equivocate, tergiversate, prevaricate, palter]
Definition of 'Equivocate'
From: GCIDE
- Equivocate \E*quiv"o*cate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Equivocated; p. pr. & vb. n. Equivocating.] [L. aequivocatus, p. p. of aequivocari to be called by the same name, fr. L. aequivocus: cf. F. ['e]quivoquer. See Equivocal, a.] To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity. [1913 Webster]
- All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate. --Bp. Stillingfleet.
- Syn: To prevaricate; evade; shuffle; quibble. See Prevaricate. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Equivocate'
From: GCIDE
- Equivocate \E*quiv"o*cate\, v. t. To render equivocal or ambiguous. [1913 Webster]
- He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation. --Sir G. Buck. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'equivocate'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- about the bush,
- alternate,
- around the bush,
- avoid,
- back and fill,
- be untruthful,
- beat about,
- beat around,
- beg the question,
- bicker,
- boggle,
- cavil,
- change,
- choplogic,
- deceive,
- dither,
- dodge,
- double-talk,
- draw the longbow,
- duck,
- elude,
- escape,
- eschew,
- evade,
- evade the issue,
- exaggerate,
- falsify,
- fence,
- fib,
- fluctuate,
- hedge,
- hem and haw,
- hum and haw,
- lie,
- lie flatly,
- mince the truth,
- mince words,
- mislead,
- mystify,
- nitpick,
- obscure,
- oscillate,
- palter,
- parry,
- pendulate,
- pick nits,
- prevaricate,
- pull away,
- pull back,
- pussyfoot,
- put off,
- quibble,
- recoil,
- sheer off,
- shift,
- shift off,
- shilly-shally,
- shrink,
- shuffle,
- shy,
- shy away,
- shy off,
- sidestep,
- skirt,
- speak falsely,
- split hairs,
- step aside,
- story,
- stretch the truth,
- swerve,
- teeter,
- tell a lie,
- tergiversate,
- totter,
- vacillate,
- vary,
- waffle,
- ward off,
- waver,
- weasel,
- wobble