prevaricate

verb

pre·var·i·cate pri-ˈver-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce prevaricate (audio)

-ˈva-rə-

prevaricated; prevaricating

intransitive verb

: to deviate from the truth : equivocate

prevarication

pri-ˌver-ə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce prevaricate (audio)

-ˌva-rə-

noun

prevaricator

pri-ˈver-ə-ˌkā-tər How to pronounce prevaricate (audio)

-ˈva-rə-

noun

Did you know?

Prevaricate and its synonyms lie and equivocate all refer to playing fast and loose with the truth. Lie is the bluntest of the three. When you accuse someone of lying, you are saying that person was intentionally dishonest, no bones about it. Prevaricate is less accusatory and softens the bluntness of lie, usually implying that someone is evading the truth rather than purposely making false statements. Equivocate is similar to prevaricate, but it generally implies that someone is deliberately using words that have more than one meaning as a way to conceal the truth.

Example Sentences

Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project. during the hearings the witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend

Recent Examples on the Web When history’s vicious victors prevaricate about how the West was lost, maybe movies such as Cry Macho, Richard Jewell, The Mule, and The 15:17 to Paris will survive to tell a different, more complicated and compassionate story.

Armond White, National Review, 17 Sep. 2021 An enemy would simply prevaricate and bide their time, knowing that the other side can pull back from the brink before it’s too late.

Andy Meek, BGR, 3 Aug. 2021 When an administration prevaricates on climate change, the effects won’t be felt for years, and even then will be hard to parse.

Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2020 Until disclosures are made mandatory, companies are likely to prevaricate.

The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019 Until the American public, whom doctors are well placed to inform, steps into this debate to demand action, Congress will continue to prevaricate.

Annabelle Timsit, Quartz India, 19 Aug. 2019 Every transfer situation is unique, and, on this particular occasion, why not just pay up instead of needlessly prevaricating?

SI.com, 5 Aug. 2019 Anna hemmed and hawed and dissembled and prevaricated and, as the women got increasingly angry, allowed two fat tears to roll down her cheeks.

Jessica Pressler, The Cut, 28 May 2018 Meanwhile, Mohamed Nasheed, the former president whose conviction has now been quashed, prevaricated about returning from exile in Sri Lanka.

The Economist, 2 Feb. 2018 See More

单词	prevaricating
释义	prevaricate verb pre·var·i·cate pri-ˈver-ə-ˌkāt -ˈva-rə- prevaricated; prevaricating intransitive verb : to deviate from the truth : equivocate prevarication pri-ˌver-ə-ˈkā-shən -ˌva-rə- noun prevaricator pri-ˈver-ə-ˌkā-tər -ˈva-rə- noun Did you know? Prevaricate and its synonyms lie and equivocate all refer to playing fast and loose with the truth. Lie is the bluntest of the three. When you accuse someone of lying, you are saying that person was intentionally dishonest, no bones about it. Prevaricate is less accusatory and softens the bluntness of lie, usually implying that someone is evading the truth rather than purposely making false statements. Equivocate is similar to prevaricate, but it generally implies that someone is deliberately using words that have more than one meaning as a way to conceal the truth. Synonyms fabricate fib lie See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project. during the hearings the witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend Recent Examples on the Web When history’s vicious victors prevaricate about how the West was lost, maybe movies such as Cry Macho, Richard Jewell, The Mule, and The 15:17 to Paris will survive to tell a different, more complicated and compassionate story. Armond White, National Review, 17 Sep. 2021 An enemy would simply prevaricate and bide their time, knowing that the other side can pull back from the brink before it’s too late. Andy Meek, BGR, 3 Aug. 2021 When an administration prevaricates on climate change, the effects won’t be felt for years, and even then will be hard to parse. Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2020 Until disclosures are made mandatory, companies are likely to prevaricate. The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019 Until the American public, whom doctors are well placed to inform, steps into this debate to demand action, Congress will continue to prevaricate. Annabelle Timsit, Quartz India, 19 Aug. 2019 Every transfer situation is unique, and, on this particular occasion, why not just pay up instead of needlessly prevaricating? SI.com, 5 Aug. 2019 Anna hemmed and hawed and dissembled and prevaricated and, as the women got increasingly angry, allowed two fat tears to roll down her cheeks. Jessica Pressler, The Cut, 28 May 2018 Meanwhile, Mohamed Nasheed, the former president whose conviction has now been quashed, prevaricated about returning from exile in Sri Lanka. The Economist, 2 Feb. 2018 See More Word History Etymology Latin praevaricatus, past participle of praevaricari to act in collusion, literally, to straddle, from prae- + varicare to straddle, from varus bowlegged First Known Use circa 1625, in the meaning defined above prevaricating 1 of 2 adjective as in lying Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance lying fibbing dishonest mendacious untruthful dissembling fallacious untrue unscrupulous equivocating pretending untrustworthy unreliable duplicitous bluffing evasive dissimulating posing hypocritical undependable unbelievable insincere false deceitful wily deceptive treacherous sneaky underhanded sly tricky artful devious slippery slick Antonyms & Near Antonyms truthful honest veracious forthright plain forthcoming direct outspoken frank plainspoken open candid true credible openhearted believable free-spoken veritable foursquare freehearted out-front See More prevaricating 2 of 2 verb present participle of prevaricate as in fibbing to make a statement one knows to be untrue during the hearings the witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend Synonyms & Similar Words lying fibbing equivocating deceiving perjuring fabricating paltering deluding forswearing kidding fooling gulling slandering dissembling dissimulating hoodwinking tricking duping fudging misstating libeling cozening misrepresenting foreswearing traducing misreporting misleading hoaxing misinforming libelling defaming falsifying beguiling distorting misguiding garbling snowing taking in Antonyms & Near Antonyms asserting testifying swearing confirming verifying validating substantiating authenticating See More
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prevaricate

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

verb