Sample sentences for PREVARICATE

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Definition

be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information; or make false statements

The government will prevaricate until after elections.

prevaricate = be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information; or make false statements

The company will attempt to prevaricate until the matter was forgotten by the media and public.
It is a terrible thing to have a mother who prevaricates.
Barrie, James Matthew -- Margaret Ogilvy
But Clary had no time for Valentine's prevarications.
Cassandra Clare -- City of Bones

prevarications = ambiguities used to mislead or withhold information

(editor's note: The suffix "-tions", converts a verb into a plural noun that denotes results of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in actions, illustrations, and observations.)

John has made an art out of it. He prevaricates just for...
Paul Zindel -- The Pigman

prevaricates = is deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

He then prevaricated about it—he said he hadn't?
Henry James -- The Turn of the Screw

prevaricated = lied (did not tell the truth)

Don't prevaricate, Nora.
Henrik Ibsen -- A Doll's House

prevaricate = be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

Six long months of excuses and prevarication.
Sophie Kinsella -- Confessoins of a Shopaholic

(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)

One prevaricates, one makes excuses for oneself, one gets out of it the best way one can.
Margaret Atwood -- Alias Grace
Thinking it professional to prevaricate, he murmured something about a nervous breakdown.
E.M. Forster -- Howards End
"Don't prevaricate," said Mr. Lorry.
Charles Dickens -- A Tale of Two Cities
OEDIPUS The knave methinks will still prevaricate.
Sophocles -- Oedipus the King
So I prevaricated and didn't pay, seeing no end to paying if I should start.
V.S. Naipaul -- A Bend in the River
"Cavilling, not gravelling," said Don Quixote, "thou prevaricator of honest language, God confound thee!"
Miguel de Cervantes -- Don Quixote
We never prevaricated before.
Henry James -- The Portrait of a Lady - Volume 1
Delay, obscure, prevaricate.
George R.R. Martin -- A Dance With Dragons
—answer me this instant, without prevarication!
Edgar Allan Poe -- The Gold-Bug

'How it is, you prevaricating little piece of goods!' cried Fanny.
Charles Dickens -- Little Dorrit
If you tell me any lies, or attempt to prevaricate in any way, or even fall below your usual level of intelligence, you will cry out with pain, instantly.
George Orwell -- 1984
I must prevaricate and fence them off with lies.
Virginia Woolf -- The Waves

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