palter

verb

ˈpȯl-tər How to pronounce palter (audio)
Definition of palternext
as in to deal
to talk over or dispute the terms of a purchase unwilling to palter over the price of the car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb palter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of palter are equivocate, fib, lie, and prevaricate. While all these words mean "to tell an untruth," palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.

a swindler paltering with his investors

When is equivocate a more appropriate choice than palter?

While the synonyms equivocate and palter are close in meaning, equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.

equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors

When is it sensible to use fib instead of palter?

The words fib and palter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.

fibbed about the price of the new suit

When can lie be used instead of palter?

Although the words lie and palter have much in common, lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.

lied about where he had been

How do prevaricate and lie relate to one another, in the sense of palter?

Prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.

during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate

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 palter Rather than wait to share the witches’ paltering pronouncements with Lady M (Indira Varma) in person, the thane of Glamis chooses to send word to his wife in advance of his return from battle. —Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palter
  1. deal
  2. negotiate
  3. bargain
  4. haggle
Verb
  • The conquest of Taiwan would also deal a huge blow to Chinese soft power.
    — RANA MITTER, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Edwin is the complete opposite of any of that and really not dealing very well with the wilderness aspect of everything well.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of deal
Verb
  • During his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement negotiated with Iran by President Barack Obama.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 May 2025
  • The league’s roster rules are curated to maintain competitive parity, and include facets like salary caps, international slots and a hard limit on how many players can earn above the annual senior maximum salary (as negotiated with its players union in collective bargaining).
    — Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Definition of negotiate
Verb
  • Some agencies, including the FBI, are exempt from a law requiring federal agencies to bargain with labor organizations over employment matters.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Start from there and use your relative strengths to bargain up.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of bargain
Verb
  • Vietnam has asked the United States to delay the April 9 implementation of sky-high tariffs announced last week in a test of how much President Trump is willing to haggle over his protectionist trade agenda.
    — John Ruwitch, NPR, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The eventual decisions could redefine the relationships between the three branches of government: the executive and legislative haggling over spending priorities and the judiciary as the referee.
    — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of haggle

Browse Nearby Words

palsy-walsy
palter
paltered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Palter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palter. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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