beat around the bush

Speech parts

1. beat around the bush - Verb

2. beat around the bush - Phrase

Meaning

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

Source: WordNet

Synonyms

equivocate prevaricate palter tergiversate dodge stonewall fudge waffle fence hedge stall hesitate sidestep vacillate temporize

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Antonyms

press on push on take the bull by the horns make no bones about get down to brass tacks cut to the chase

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Hypernyms

mislead misinform

Related terms

beat the bushes

Examples

If you have your eye set on somebody, don't beat around the bush. Vanessa Hudgens

“It locked behind him, and they said ‘we’re not gonna beat around the bush here, we’re taking you into custody.’ Source: Internet

Kim Severson's NY Times article doesn't beat around the bush when she reports the figures, the defaulting loans, the interest rates on private loans, and the people who realize they aren't chefs, but cooks, when they graduate from culinary school. Source: Internet

Lucius' journal doesn't beat around the bush. Source: Internet

When the time came to make hard decisions, like ending a relationship, she never beat around the bush, wasted time or played along… She cut to the chase with a directness that was respected. Source: Internet

I wouldn't beat around the bush, be direct and tell her that you've had this fantasy. Source: Internet

Words in the phrase

beat around the bush

Close letter words and terms

beat all beat all hollow beat around bush beat as one beat back beat Banaghan