1
as in to weasel
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
politicians who try to pussyfoot around hot-button issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pussyfoot
Delivering the News Dear Delivering: Here’s how: Stop pussyfooting around the subject and be completely honest with your mother.
—
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
No less than Werner Herzog remade Murnau’s masterpiece in 1979, starring Klaus Kinski as the bald-headed bloodsucker; rather than pussyfoot around the whole rip-off-or-not aspect, the former doubles down and names the character Count Dracula.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The results of this pussyfooting around are mixed, for everyone involved.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In an interview that aired on NBC News this week, DeSantis for the first time finally stopped pussyfooting around whether Trump won in 2020.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Aug. 2023
Yet other people want to pussyfoot around.
—Ed Symkus, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2020
What a crazy, zany coincidence that Harden pussyfooted around the controversy set off by Morey’s tweet.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan is gonna be mad at this short-ass lede, but today there’s no need to pussyfoot around.
—Michael Harriot, The Root, 15 June 2018
No pussyfooting around here: Sell-offs are painful.
—Anna-Louise Jackson, latimes.com, 9 Feb. 2018
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
No less than Werner Herzog remade Murnau’s masterpiece in 1979, starring Klaus Kinski as the bald-headed bloodsucker; rather than pussyfoot around the whole rip-off-or-not aspect, the former doubles down and names the character Count Dracula.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The results of this pussyfooting around are mixed, for everyone involved.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In an interview that aired on NBC News this week, DeSantis for the first time finally stopped pussyfooting around whether Trump won in 2020.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Aug. 2023
Yet other people want to pussyfoot around.
—Ed Symkus, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2020
What a crazy, zany coincidence that Harden pussyfooted around the controversy set off by Morey’s tweet.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan is gonna be mad at this short-ass lede, but today there’s no need to pussyfoot around.
—Michael Harriot, The Root, 15 June 2018
No pussyfooting around here: Sell-offs are painful.
—Anna-Louise Jackson, latimes.com, 9 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfoot
Verb
-
Trying to weasel things by providing additional levels is abhorrent.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
20 Nov. 2024
-
But when Douglas doesn’t invite her to the business dinner, the show suddenly takes a turn into wacky sitcom territory, with Maxine trying to weasel her way into Douglas’s business to meet and invite the Prince to the Beach Ball.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2024
Verb
-
Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Who knows what evil lurks in the inner computational and mathematical structures of generative AI and LLMs?—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
As Christina has a conversation with her competition outside of their property’s garage, Lange sneaks into the house and records each room, picking up a few souvenirs along the way.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
6 Mar. 2025
-
The president was on his balcony, smoking a cigarette and reading the tablet, when Trent, wearing the excavation uniform, snuck up and hit him with a heavy drill bit from the library’s display case; Cal dropped the tablet in the hedges below.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Medical examiners determined that Arakawa's death at 65 was caused by hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease usually contracted from exposure to mouse droppings that affects the lungs.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
7 Mar. 2025
-
What’s more, mice need only 20 days to gestate, making for a quick turnaround from embryo to mouse pup.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Its follow-up, the group’s second full-length, declines even further, slipping from No. 21 to No. 33. Follow me on Twitter.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
-
That’s also true of the stories to which White is drawn, resulting in uneven performances (Isaacs’ Southern accent sometimes slips into an Australian accent).—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The living spaces get plenty of light from large windows and sliding glass doors at the front of the home.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Feb. 2025
-
In February, the 30-stock Dow slid 2.3% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost about 5%.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pussyfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfoot. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share