fudging
Bending the truth
Fudging is adjusting facts, figures, or rules in small, often dishonest ways: She was fudging the numbers on her expense report.
The word suggests minor deception rather than outright fraud—hedging, rounding, or conveniently omitting details.
To fudge an answer is to give something vague when you don't really know: He fudged when asked about his qualifications.
Influencing through cunning
- fabricatingManufacturing falsely
- doctoringAltering deceptively
- falsifyingMaking intentionally untrue
- cooking the booksManipulating financial statements illegally
misrepresenting · tampering · inflating · deflating · massaging · padding · skewing · rigging
Forming rough calculations
- roundingAdjusting to simpler values
- ballparkingEstimating without precision
- guesstimatingInformal rough calculation
- approximatingGetting close to
rough · inexact · imprecise · close enough · in the ballpark · rough estimate · rounding up · rounding down
Evasive, indecisive speech
- equivocatingSpeaking with deliberate ambiguity
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
evading · noncommittal · vague · wishy-washy · beating around the bush · fence-sitting · hemming and hawing · backpedaling
Sweet from cacao seeds
- caramelCooked sugar confection
- candySugary edible treats
- toffeeCaramelized sugar confection
- confectionerySugary foods or their shop
brownie · sugar · marshmallow · butterscotch · praline · ganache · truffle · nougat
manipulating
Influencing through cunning
- fabricatingManufacturing falsely
- doctoringAltering deceptively
- falsifyingMaking intentionally untrue
cooking the books · misrepresenting · tampering · inflating · deflating · massaging · padding · skewing · rigging · juking
estimating
Forming rough calculations
- roundingAdjusting to simpler values
- ballparkingEstimating without precision
- guesstimatingInformal rough calculation
approximating · rough · inexact · imprecise · close enough · in the ballpark · rough estimate · rounding up · rounding down · give or take
waffling
Evasive, indecisive speech
- equivocatingSpeaking with deliberate ambiguity
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
dodging · evading · noncommittal · vague · wishy-washy · beating around the bush · fence-sitting · hemming and hawing · backpedaling · qualifying
chocolate
Sweet from cacao seeds
confectionery · brownie · sugar · marshmallow · butterscotch · praline · ganache · truffle · nougat · divinity
- shoddinessslipshod, slapdash, hack job, botch job, botch
- bending rulesloopholes, skirting, exploits, workarounds, cutting corners
- minor offensesminor offense, white lie, petty offense, fib, jaywalking
- GMingworld building, campaign planning, pacing, rulings, railroading
- Marblesshooter, shooters, taw, cat's eye, steelies
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
fudgingtelling the truth
- fudging the issueDeliberately being vague
- fudging numbersDishonestly altering figures