evasive

adjective

eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv How to pronounce evasive (audio)
-ziv, 
ē-
Synonyms of evasive
: tending or intended to evade : equivocal
evasive answers
evasively adverb
evasiveness noun

Synonyms of evasive

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Examples of evasive in a Sentence

She gave an evasive answer. They took evasive action to avoid capture.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But even the comms team seemed evasive. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026 And why so many of the players have been evasive with their future plans as well. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026 Whitehead, who’d praised Jenkins’s adaptation at the podium in Wyoming, was evasive when asked about Ross’s. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the e-bike rider tried to take evasive action but ended up underneath the truck and was run over. — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for evasive

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evasive was in 1637

Browse Nearby Words

evasional
evasive
evasively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evasive. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

evasive

adjective
eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv How to pronounce evasive (audio)
-ziv
: tending or meant to evade
gave an evasive answer
evasively adverb
evasiveness noun

Legal Definition

evasive

adjective
eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv, -ziv How to pronounce evasive (audio)
: tending or intending to evade

Note: Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(4), an evasive or incomplete answer to an interrogatory or to a question at a deposition is treated as a failure to answer and may be subject to an opponent's motion to compel an answer.

evasively adverb
evasiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on evasive

Nglish: Translation of evasive for Spanish Speakers

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