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prevaricate verb

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/prɪˈvær.ɪ.keɪt//-ˈver-/ v [I] formal

Definition

to avoid telling the truth or saying exactly what you think
He accused the minister of prevaricating.

prevarication noun

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/prɪˌvær.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən//-ˌver-/ n [U]
All my attempts to question the authorities on the subject were met by prevarication.

(Definition of prevaricate verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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