1
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the evidence that this latest diet really results in lasting weight loss is certainly equivocal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
he responded to the reporter's questions with equivocal answers or refusals to comment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsure
having a mixture of opposing feelings
a number of people are clearly equivocal about allowing casino gambling in the state
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of equivocal
But the text of his Fox News piece is more equivocal than its top lines would suggest.
—
Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
This qualifies as resilience, though of an equivocal sort.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
Although surveys in most European countries indicate more people are sympathetic to the Palestinians than with the Israelis, more still are either equivocal or indifferent.
—Toby Greene, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2017
The Biden administration will need to offer North Korea a more full-throated, less equivocal olive branch to transform the vicious cycle of provocation into a virtuous cycle of accommodation.
—Frank Aum, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
This qualifies as resilience, though of an equivocal sort.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
Although surveys in most European countries indicate more people are sympathetic to the Palestinians than with the Israelis, more still are either equivocal or indifferent.
—Toby Greene, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2017
The Biden administration will need to offer North Korea a more full-throated, less equivocal olive branch to transform the vicious cycle of provocation into a virtuous cycle of accommodation.
—Frank Aum, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocal
Adjective
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Wiggins was listed as questionable on the injury report before being upgraded to available.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Tatum came into this contest listed as questionable.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Religion is the topic most likely to cause offense in India today, though the code is ambiguous on this point too.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
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One thing that is not ambiguous is that the spirit is drawing Mia into its world a little at a time.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who was at either of the Grapevine locations March 28-30 and is unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status is at risk of contracting measles, Tarrant officials said.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Apr. 2025
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But with how Trump’s plans are ever-changing, Metzgar is unsure if anything will remain a safe bet.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In his second term, the president has fewer people around him who try to keep dubious sources away.—
Michael D. Shear,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Doctors prescribe it to ease symptoms of testosterone deficiency — among them weight gain, muscle loss and depression — but dubious clinics also sell the therapy as a cure-all for a crisis of masculinity.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And this looks to have that signature Souls flavor both in terms of combat and cryptic storytelling.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Breakup rumors swirled around the Australian tennis star, 29, and his influencer girlfriend over the weekend after eagle-eyed fans noticed cryptic messaging on their respective social media accounts across Instagram and TikTok.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With good reason, many European governments fear that the Trump administration is fundamentally ambivalent about the course of the war.—
Jack Watling,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Mar. 2025
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Thousands of actors have tackled the Bard's most tragic and ambivalent hero, but Laurence Olivier's eerie, atmospheric adaptation — the first major non-silent film version — makes the 400-year-old prince of Denmark seem devastatingly real.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Hoult is coming off a trio of starring turns late last year that showcased his range, playing a cold white supremacist in Justin Kurzel’s The Order, a conflicted husband in Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2, and a man fighting a despicable vampire in Robert Egger’s lush Gothic drama Nosferatu.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Friday morning, celebrating the probable aversion of a partial government shutdown in comments that will likely drive a deeper wedge between conflicted Democrats.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And the partnership comes as TikTok’s future in the U.S. is uncertain.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2025
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Aside from the retroactive tariffs expected to be announced this afternoon by the White House, not only is the imposition of secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian highly uncertain, but their possible nature remains inscrutable.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Equivocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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