1. (v.) To use words of equivocal or double meaning\; 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.

2. (v. t.) To render equivocal or ambiguous.

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