When someone avoids giving a definite answer: “We tried to pin him down, but he just kept ________.”
| BEATING AROUND THE BUSH | 319 |
| EVADING THE ISSUE | 94 |
| EVADING | 77 |
| HEDGING | 76 |
| AVOIDING THE ISSUE | 47 |
| GIVING US THE RUN-AROUND | 43 |
| HEMMING AND HAWING | 43 |
| STALLING | 42 |
| PUTTING US OFF | 40 |
| SIDE-STEPPING | 23 |
| EVADING THE QUESTION | 21 |
| NR | 20 |
| EVADING US | 16 |
| AVOIDING | 15 |
| DODGING THE ISSUE | 14 |
| SIDE-STEPPING THE ISSUE | 14 |
| DODGING | 13 |
| PASSING THE BUCK | 12 |
| AVOIDING THE QUESTION | 11 |
| AVOIDING US | 11 |
| MUM | 11 |
| AVOIDING IT | 9 |
| WIGGLING OUT | 9 |
| AVOIDING THE SUBJECT | 8 |
| CHANGING THE SUBJECT | 8 |
| DUCKING THE ISSUE | 8 |
| SHILLY-SHALLYING | 8 |
| TALKING | 8 |
| BEING EVASIVE | 7 |
| GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES | 7 |
| SILENT | 6 |
| SQUIRMING OUT | 6 |
| WIGGLING OUT OF IT | 6 |
| BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH | 5 |
| EDGING AWAY | 5 |
| SIDE-TRACKING | 5 |
| BEATING THE BUSH | 4 |
| CRAWFISHING | 4 |
| PUTTING IT OFF | 4 |
| QUIET | 4 |
| SITTING ON THE FENCE | 4 |
| TALKING IN CIRCLES | 4 |
| WORMING OUT OF IT | 4 |
| BEGGING THE QUESTION | 3 |
| DILLYDALLYING | 3 |
| GIVING THE RUN-AROUND | 3 |
| GOING AROUND ROBIN HOOD’S BARN | 3 |
| HEDGING AROUND | 3 |
| HOLDING BACK | 3 |
| HUMMING AND HAWING | 3 |
| LYING | 3 |
| PUSSY-FOOTING AROUND | 3 |
| PUTTING OFF | 3 |
| RENEGING | 3 |
| SIDE-TRACKING US | 3 |
| SKIRTING THE ISSUE | 3 |
| SQUIRMING OUT OF IT | 3 |
| WIGGLING AROUND | 3 |
| ALIBI-ING | 2 |
| BACKING OFF | 2 |
| BEING WISHY-WASHY | 2 |
| BRUSHING US OFF | 2 |
| COULDN’T PIN HIM DOWN | 2 |
| DODGING THE QUESTION | 2 |
| DUCKING | 2 |
| GIVING EXCUSES | 2 |
| GOING IN CIRCLES | 2 |
| GOING ON | 2 |
| GOING ROUND AND ROUND | 2 |
| HEM-HAWING | 2 |
| HIS MOUTH SHUT | 2 |
| HIS OWN COUNSEL | 2 |
| IGNORING US | 2 |
| MAKING EXCUSES | 2 |
| PLAYING IT COOL | 2 |
| PUSHING US OFF | 2 |
| RAMBLING | 2 |
| RUNNING AROUND | 2 |
| SEESAWING | 2 |
| SHYING AWAY | 2 |
| SLIPPERY AS AN EEL | 2 |
| SLIPPING OUT | 2 |
| SLIPPING OUT FROM UNDER | 2 |
| SQUIRMING AROUND | 2 |
| TALKING AROUND IT | 2 |
| THROWING US OFF | 2 |
| TIGHT LIP | 2 |
| VACILLATING | 2 |
| WAVERING | 2 |
| WEASLING | 2 |
| WEASLING OUT | 2 |
| WEASLING OUT OF IT | 2 |
| WIGGLING | 2 |
| AD-LIBBING | 1 |
| ALLUDING | 1 |
| ARGUING | 1 |
| AVOIDING OUR QUESTIONS | 1 |
| AVOIDING THE ANSWER | 1 |
| AVOIDING THE ISSUES | 1 |
| BABBLING ON | 1 |
| BACKING UP | 1 |
| BAFFLING US | 1 |
| BALLYHOOING AROUND | 1 |
| BEATING ABOUT | 1 |
| BEATING AROUND THE BARN | 1 |
| BEATING AROUND THE STUMP | 1 |
| BEATING ROUND ROBIN HOOD’S BARN | 1 |
| BEATING THE DEVIL AROUND A BUSH | 1 |
| BEING FOXY | 1 |
| BEING SHIFTY | 1 |
| BLABBING | 1 |
| COMING UP | 1 |
| COULDN’T CASE HIM | 1 |
| CRAWDADDING | 1 |
| DENYING WHAT WE SAID | 1 |
| DISREGARDING THE ISSUE | 1 |
| DODGING FACTS | 1 |
| DOUBLE-TALKING | 1 |
| DRUG AROUND IT | 1 |
| EDGING | 1 |
| EDGING OFF | 1 |
| EDGING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| EITHER SHIT OR HOLD THE BAG | 1 |
| ELUDING US | 1 |
| EVADING IT | 1 |
| EVADING THE ANSWER | 1 |
| EVADING THE POINT | 1 |
| EVASIVE | 1 |
| FADED | 1 |
| FENCING | 1 |
| FILIBUSTERING | 1 |
| FINAGLING | 1 |
| FINAGLING AROUND | 1 |
| FIRM | 1 |
| FLOUNDERING | 1 |
| FOOLING AROUND | 1 |
| FRIDGING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| GETTING FARTHER AWAY | 1 |
| GETTING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| GIVING US A LOT OF NOTHING | 1 |
| GIVING US NO ANSWER | 1 |
| GIVING US THE ALL-AROUND | 1 |
| GIVING US THE BRUSH-OFF | 1 |
| GIVING US THE GO-AROUND | 1 |
| GIVING US THE GO-BY | 1 |
| GOING ALL AROUND | 1 |
| GOING AROUND | 1 |
| GOING AROUND IN A CIRCLE | 1 |
| GOING AROUND IT | 1 |
| GOING OFF ON A TANGENT | 1 |
| GOING THE OTHER WAY | 1 |
| GOING WRONG | 1 |
| HEDGING AROUND IT | 1 |
| HEDGING OFF | 1 |
| HEDGING THE QUESTION | 1 |
| HEE-HAWIN’ AROUND | 1 |
| HELD OUT | 1 |
| HIS SECRET | 1 |
| HOLDING IT BACK | 1 |
| HORSING AROUND | 1 |
| HUM-HAWING | 1 |
| HUMMIN’ AND A-HAWIN’ | 1 |
| IGNORING IT | 1 |
| IGNORING THE ISSUE | 1 |
| IGNORING THE QUESTION | 1 |
| IN ABEYANCE | 1 |
| INCHING AWAY | 1 |
| IS JUST LIKE AN EEL | 1 |
| JUMPING THE GUN | 1 |
| JUMPING THE ISSUE | 1 |
| KICKING OUT | 1 |
| LEADING US ON | 1 |
| MAKING MISTAKES | 1 |
| MOVING IN CIRCLES | 1 |
| NOSING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| ON HEDGING | 1 |
| ON TALKING | 1 |
| ON THE FENCE | 1 |
| OUT-TALKING US | 1 |
| PASSING IT UP | 1 |
| PLAYING FOR TIME | 1 |
| PLAYING MR. INNOCENT | 1 |
| PLAYING POLITICS | 1 |
| PLAYING POSSUM | 1 |
| PLUGGING AWAY | 1 |
| PROCRASTINATING | 1 |
| PUTTING US ON | 1 |
| RAMBLING ON | 1 |
| RAN TOO FAST FOR ME | 1 |
| RATTLING ON | 1 |
| REFUSING | 1 |
| REPEATING IT | 1 |
| RIDING A FENCE | 1 |
| RUNNING AROUND IT | 1 |
| RUNNING AROUND THE BUSH | 1 |
| RUNNING IN CIRCLES | 1 |
| SAY WHAT YOU’LL GIVE OR TAKE | 1 |
| SHAKING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| SHAKING US OFF | 1 |
| SHILLY-SHALLYING AROUND | 1 |
| SHORT-CIRCUITING | 1 |
| SHOVING US OFF | 1 |
| SHUNNING ME | 1 |
| SIDLING OFF | 1 |
| SKIRTING THE QUESTION | 1 |
| SLIDING AROUND | 1 |
| SLIPPING AROUND | 1 |
| SLIPPING AWAY | 1 |
| SLIPPING FROM UNDER | 1 |
| SLIPPING THE PUNCH | 1 |
| SLIPPING THROUGH MY HANDS | 1 |
| SPLITTING HAIRS | 1 |
| SPOUTING OFF | 1 |
| SQUIMMING OUTA IT | 1 |
| SQUIRMING | 1 |
| SQUIRMING AWAY | 1 |
| SQUIRMING OFF | 1 |
| STALLING AROUND | 1 |
| STALLING OFF | 1 |
| STALLING US | 1 |
| STALLING US OFF | 1 |
| STAY PUT | 1 |
| STRADDLING THE FENCE | 1 |
| STRINGING US ALONG | 1 |
| STRINGING US OUT | 1 |
| STUMBLING AROUND | 1 |
| TAKING ME AROUND ROBIN HOOD’S BARN | 1 |
| TALKING DOUBLE-TALK | 1 |
| TEETERING | 1 |
| TELLING US SOMETHING ELSE | 1 |
| TO HIMSELF | 1 |
| TRYING TO GET OUT OF IT | 1 |
| TURNING US AWAY | 1 |
| US DANGLING | 1 |
| WANDERING ALL OVER THE LANDSCAPE | 1 |
| WAS ELUSIVE | 1 |
| WAS EVASIVE | 1 |
| WAS JUST WISHY-WASHY | 1 |
| WAS WISHY-WASHY | 1 |
| WE COULDN’T GET ANYTHING OUT OF HIM | 1 |
| WEASLING AROUND IT | 1 |
| WHAT HE KNOWED TO HISSELF | 1 |
| WHEEDLING OUT OF IT | 1 |
| WHILING AWAY OUT TIME | 1 |
| WHIPPING ROUND THE BUSH | 1 |
| WHIPPING THE DEVIL AROUND THE BUSH | 1 |
| WIGGLING AROUND US | 1 |
| WILD GOOSE CHASE | 1 |
| WISH-WASHING AROUND | 1 |
| WISHY-WASHING AROUND | 1 |
| WOBBLING | 1 |
| WOULD NEVER COME TO THE POINT | 1 |
| WOULDN’T BE PINNED DOWN | 1 |
| WOULDN’T COME CLEAN | 1 |
| WOULDN’T LET GO | 1 |
| WOULDN’T STICK | 1 |
| WOULDN’T TALK | 1 |
| WOULDN’T TELL | 1 |
| WOULDN’T TELL EITHER | 1 |
| WOULDN’T TELL US | 1 |
DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.