palter
Deal in half-truths
To palter is to act insincerely or deceitfully, especially in speech.
One palters by equivocating, hedging, or speaking misleadingly without quite lying outright: He paltered with the truth rather than admit his role.
The word is literary and uncommon, carrying a sense of petty or evasive dishonesty rather than bold deception.
Cause false belief
- lieDeliberate falsehood
- deceiveCause false belief
- dupeDeceive or victim
- hoodwinkTrick into false belief
bamboozle · beguile · delude · trick · con · bluff · fool · falsify
Speak misleadingly to deceive
- hedgeBoundary of planted shrubs
- waffleGridded breakfast cake
- evadeEscape by cunning
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
sidestep · fence · stall · beat around the bush · shilly-shally · hem and haw · fudge · weasel
mislead
Cause false belief
hoodwink · bamboozle · beguile · delude · trick · con · bluff · fool · falsify · misrepresent
prevaricate
Speak misleadingly to deceive
dodge · sidestep · fence · stall · beat around the bush · shilly-shally · hem and haw · fudge · weasel · parry
bargain
Favorable purchase price
- negotiateDiscuss to reach agreement
- barterDirect goods-for-goods exchange
- dickerNegotiate terms informally
chaffer · deal · wrangle · higgle · haggle · beat down · wheel and deal · trade · bicker · quibble
toy
Object for amusement
play · tamper · fool · tinker · jest · sport · toy with · make light of · trivialize · slight
paltertell the truth
Communicate facts honestly
speak plainly · be honest · level with · disclose · confide