Meaning & use
weasel out
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Meaning
verbphrasal verbinformaldisapproving
To avoid doing something you promised or ought to do, usually by using clever excuses or sneaky tactics.
Grammar: No object follows directly; the thing avoided comes after of: weasel out of a deal.
Patterns
- weasel out of something
- weasel out of doing something
He tried to weasel out of paying his share of the bill.
Don't let her weasel out of the meeting by claiming a headache.
The company weaseled out of the contract on a technicality.
Word forms
| third person singular | weasels out |
|---|---|
| past tense | weaseled out |
| past participle | weaseled out |
| -ing form | weaseling out |
Common combinations
- weasel out of a promise
- You can't weasel out of a promise you made in front of everyone.
- weasel out of responsibility
- The manager tried to weasel out of responsibility for the mistake.
- try to weasel out
- Whenever it's his turn to cook, he tries to weasel out.
- weasel out of a deal
- The seller weaseled out of the deal at the last minute.
- weasel out of paying
- They weaseled out of paying the fine.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wriggle out
- Wriggle out is very close and slightly less insulting, since it only suggests clever escaping, while weasel out suggests sneakiness.
- dodge
- Dodge is more neutral and can describe quick avoidance of anything, not only broken commitments.
- back out
- Back out simply means withdraw from an agreement and carries no hint of trickery.
- renege
- Renege is formal and focuses on breaking a promise, whereas weasel out highlights the evasive method.
Opposites
Word family
- weasel noun
- a small slender predator; also a sneaky person
- weasel verb
- to get around something by sly means
- weaselly adjective
- sneaky or evasive
- weasel words noun
- deliberately vague statements that avoid commitment
Commonly confused: weasel out or wheedle?
weasel out vs wheedle
To wheedle is to persuade someone by flattery. To weasel out is to avoid doing something.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrasal verb correctly?
Choose one answer.
Weasel out is followed by of before the thing being avoided. Without of or with to, the sentence is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “weasel out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.