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
Yet before the press arrived, Trump shared a different, less equivocal message with El Salvador’s dictatorial president, Nayib Bukele, who has already built sprawling maximum-security complexes in service of Trump’s scheme to deport noncitizens out of legal reach.
—
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Still, even in those instances, Scott offers equivocal lessons.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Some conservative deficit hawks are much less equivocal.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2025
His contribution to the Wende exhibition stands out as a sweeping portrait of a surveillance state and the paradoxically equivocal picture that arises when hundreds of millions of video cameras are monitoring everything that happens in public.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Still, even in those instances, Scott offers equivocal lessons.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Some conservative deficit hawks are much less equivocal.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2025
His contribution to the Wende exhibition stands out as a sweeping portrait of a surveillance state and the paradoxically equivocal picture that arises when hundreds of millions of video cameras are monitoring everything that happens in public.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for equivocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivocal
Adjective
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Credits are issued by independent registries but the market has faced criticism for inconsistent standards, greenwashing, and questionable impact.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Chisholm followed that free pass with a questionable sac bunt for the first out of the inning.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Emojis in texts: More than just fun, a tool for connection While emojis can sometimes be ambiguous or misunderstood, especially in sarcastic or complex conversations, their overall impact is positive.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
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In fact, she was designed to be ethnically ambiguous for that reason, suggested Carlos Cortés, professor emeritus in history at UC Riverside, who consulted the creative team.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Without the autonomy to approve such costs within the agency, employees are unsure of their responsibilities.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
11 July 2025
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The filmmaker, unsure his story was appropriate at such a moment, was encouraged by Masharawi to proceed.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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But the mark also represented Hackman's inability to turn down dubious projects.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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Connecticut now holds the dubious distinction of having the worst regulatory environment in the country, with unaffordable electric bills and toxic relations between PURA and utility companies.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Iranians, after all, are ambivalent about the state’s reaction.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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For the first time in the history of the rivalry, both sides had to deal with the kind of ambivalent compromise that reflects that spirit of the original Michigan-Ohio War.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Analysts say the market is currently in a conflicted state, mainly due to credibility concerns over the Trump administration.—
,
CNBC,
9 July 2025
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For instance, as of July 4, Neptune retrograde in Aries is activating your eighth house of mergers, shared resources and psychological motivations, stirring up unresolved emotional baggage and conflicted energies around intimate affairs or joint ventures.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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According to a survey conducted for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, more than 70% of Americans have felt either cautious or uncertain about their financial situation over the past 12 months.—
Corina Vanek,
AZCentral.com,
7 July 2025
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This enormous — and uncertain — data center growth should not be Maryland’s responsibility.—
David S. Lapp,
Baltimore Sun,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Equivocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivocal. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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