palter
paltering; paltered; palters
To palter is to beat around the bush by speaking or writing in an unclear way. People palter to confuse others.
Palter is an unusual word for a common thing: speaking or writing in a way that bamboozles others. Politicians are paltering experts: they palter when they leave out important information or use euphemisms to confuse voters. Paltering can be vague, distracting, or misleading. People palter when they have something to hide or just don't want to discuss. Paltering isn't outright lying, but it's close. The opposite of paltering is being straightforward, clear, and honest.
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be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
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synonyms:
beat around the bush, equivocate, prevaricate, tergiversate
Vocabulary lists containing palter
Young Englishwoman Lucy Snowe finds employment and adventure in the French city of Villette.
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