pussyfoot

verb

ˈpu̇-sē-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce pussyfoot (audio)
Definition of pussyfootnext
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

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2
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner pussyfooting through the hallways in the middle of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Fragments of story are fed to us, but there’s no forward thrust, just a lot of pussyfooting around. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 The results of this pussyfooting around are mixed, for everyone involved. — Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 Alright Genesis, the time for pussyfooting is over. — New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2026 Several of these involve a furtive religious cult known as the Scars — its adherents have a way of pussyfooting through the forest and doing absolutely horrible things to nonbelievers. — Tom Gliatto, People.com, 12 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pussyfoot
  1. weasel
  2. lurk
  3. sneak
  4. mouse
  5. slip
  6. slide
Verb
  • From there, the Giants remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie until the 10th, though San Francisco’s relievers had to weasel their way out of trouble to keep the game tied.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
  • After Felix invites him to his family’s palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down.
    — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Definition of weasel
Verb
  • But the challenge has remained over the decades for popes that the threat of schism, or a rupture within the church, might lurk behind a preference for a more solemn liturgy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Mow regularly and trim your edges, since ticks lurk in tall grass and brush.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Butch standing there in his plaid pajamas, sneaking sugar cubes to Rambler and Snowy.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • When grounders sneaked through the infield, his body language was uneventful.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Police continued searching the home and found rat and mouse feces throughout, rotting food on the kitchen counter covered with flies and other bugs, and maggots in standing water in the kitchen sink.
    — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
  • Transitioning to mouse mode by simply placing the controller on a table made a potentially confusing input so much more intuitive.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Definition of mouse
Verb
  • But instead of slipping into fixer mode, reflect on what the situation is exposing to you about an emotional pattern.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • This portable misting fan is more discreet than a spray bottle fan on a lanyard and svelte enough to slip into a purse or backpack.
    — Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of slip
Verb
  • The Real Madrid star played a give-and-go with captain Harry Kane and received the ball back in the center of the box, sliding it past the Mexican keeper and into the back of the net for a shock 2-0 lead that came in all of two minutes.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2026
Definition of slide

Browse Nearby Words

pussycats
pussyfoot
pussyfooted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pussyfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pussyfoot. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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