beat around the bush

Strongest matches

• baffle
• confound
• dodge
• evade
• flee
• foil
• frustrate
• outrun
• outwit
• puzzle
• shun
• stall
• stonewall
• thwart

Strong matches

• bilk
• circumvent
• ditch
• double
• duck
• eschew
• fly
• shirk
• shuck
• shy
• stump

Weak matches

• be beyond someone
• cop out
• get around
• get away from
• give the runaround
• give the slip
• give wide berth to
• hem and haw
• not touch
• pass the buck
• pass up
• run around
• stay shy of
• steer clear of

Strong matches

• cavil
• dodge
• elude
• escape
• eschew
• evade
• falsify
• fence
• fib
• flip-flop
• fudge
• hedge
• jive
• lie
• palter
• parry
• prevaricate
• pussyfoot
• quibble
• shuck
• shuffle
• sidestep
• stonewall
• tergiversate
• waffle

Weak matches

• beg the question
• blow hot and cold
• cloud the issue
• cop a plea
• cop out
• cover up
• double-talk
• give the runaround
• hem and haw
• mince words
• pass the buck
• run around
• sit on the fence
• tell white lie
• tergiverse
• weasel

Strongest matches

• fudge
• sidestep
• waffle

Strong matches

• duck
• equivocate
• evade
• flip-flop
• jive
• prevaricate
• pussyfoot
• quibble
• shuck
• shuffle
• stall
• stonewall
• temporize
• tergiversate

Weak matches

• be noncommittal
• blow hot and cold
• cop a plea
• cop out
• give the runaround
• hem and haw
• pass the buck
• run around
• shilly-shally
• sit on the fence
• tergiverse

Weak matches

• back and fill
• beg the question
• dance around
• equivocate
• euphemize
• fudge and mudge
• hum and haw
• mince words
• shilly-shally
• tapdance

Strong matches

• belie
• cavil
• con
• distort
• dodge
• equivocate
• evade
• exaggerate
• fabricate
• falsify
• fib
• garble
• hedge
• invent
• jive
• lie
• misrepresent
• misspeak
• palter
• quibble
• shift
• shuffle
• tergiversate

Weak matches

• beg the question
• phony up
• put on

Strong matches

• avoid
• creep
• dodge
• equivocate
• evade
• glide
• hedge
• lurk
• prevaricate
• prowl
• shuffle
• sidestep
• skirt
• skulk
• slide
• slink
• slip
• sneak
• steal
• tergiversate
• tiptoe

Weak matches

• be noncommittal
• duck the issues
• hem and haw
• play it close to the vest
• sit on the fence
• tergiverse
• tread warily
• watch one's step
• weasel

Strongest matches

• halt
• hamper
• hinder
• interrupt
• postpone
• put off
• slow
• stay
• stop
• suspend

Strong matches

• arrest
• brake
• check
• die
• equivocate
• fence
• filibuster
• hedge
• prevaricate
• quibble
• stand
• still
• stonewall
• tarry
• temporize

Weak matches

• avoid the issue
• drag one's feet
• hold off
• not move
• play for time
• shut down
• slow down
• stand off
• stand still
• take one's time

Strong matches

• balk
• dodge
• duck
• hedge
• renege
• shuck
• sidestep
• waffle

Weak matches

• circumvent
• cop out
• dance around an issue
• elude
• equivocate
• eschew
• flee
• get around
• give the runaround
• hem and haw
• lay low
• pussyfoot
• put off
• shirk
• slip out
• sneak away
• tap dance
• worm one's way out of