Synonyms for prevaricate
Most common
Definitions
- v. 1
To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate.
The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
Related words
- Word family
- prevarication prevaricator
Forms
- Past participle
- prevaricated
e.g. prevaricated → evaded, equivocated, fenced, paltered…
Example sentences
- fence The house is screened from view with a high fence.
- evade Being born of it, you cannot evade its principles.
- equivocate I knew that Tom would equivocate.
- lie Such an honest man as John cannot have told a lie.
- fabricate Some like to fabricate distinctions between a lady and a woman.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| prevaricate | rising | |
| fence | rising | |
| evade | steady | |
| equivocate | steady | |
| palter | steady | |
| lie | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- lie1, fib1
- 5 letters
- fence1, dodge1, evade2, cavil
- 6 letters
- waffle2, palter
- 7 letters
- shuffle2, quibble2
- 9 letters
- fabricate3
- 10 letters
- equivocate4
- 12 letters
- tergiversate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (evade2 = 2 syllables).