Meaning & use
the Fifth
To invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, refusing to answer questions that might incriminate oneself.
See it in a sentence
When asked about the missing funds, the witness chose to take the Fifth.
Rather than risk a charge of perjury, she decided to plead the Fifth at the hearing.
A note on using this word
Almost always paired with the verbs 'take' or 'plead,' as in 'take the Fifth' or 'plead the Fifth.'
Words with a similar meaning
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