evade the truth

USAGE SUMMARY

"evade the truth" is a correct and usable phrase in written English; it means to avoid giving a direct answer or openly admitting to something.
For example, you can use it in a sentence such as: "When I asked him why he had been absent from school, he tried to evade the truth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Being open in the aftermath of a breach is the thing executives are in a position to control — but more often than not, they evade the truth.

Harvard Business Review

She says that the passages seemed stilted and distant, and that Brodkey said to him, "You're not telling the truth, and if you try to write lies or evade the truth this is what you get.

The New Yorker

"To repeat the obvious," Mr. Bailey points out, "most people don't like reading about, much less identifying with, mediocre people who evade the truth until it rolls over them".

The New York Times - Books

We ourselves often evade the truth, and the truth eludes us.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

President Obama's claim that "we have stood on the side of democracy" in the region evades the truth that funding Pakistan's army serves to smother civil society.

The New York Times

I was thinking about the suspicious behaviour of the prison authorities during the ceremony and trying to find a reason why they were evading the truth about Hamid's death: why had they ignored all our requests about his health condition when we had been worried about him during those previous days?

The Guardian

It's not as though they were evading the truth.

Huffington Post

As with the spiritual bypass, if you meditate too competitively or compulsively, you might be evading the truth rather than getting closer to it.

Huffington Post

The media is also failing us by letting politicians brush aside, deceive or evade the hard truth of the numbers.

Huffington Post

Sometimes language is used by both actors and directors to evade the moment of truth: action.

The New York Times

At that moment, of course, much of the smart money thought Mr. Clinton was already dead, dispatched by tabloid reports of his affair with a lounge singer named Gennifer Flowers and reports in more serious publications about his efforts to avoid the draft and his subsequent efforts to blur and evade that truth.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "evade the truth" when you want to emphasize a deliberate attempt to avoid or sidestep a direct and honest response.

Common error

While "evading the truth" implies avoidance, it doesn't necessarily mean outright lying. Be mindful of the distinction to accurately portray the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "evade the truth" functions primarily as a verbal phrase. It describes an action—the act of avoiding or circumventing the truth. Ludwig AI confirms the correctness and usability of this phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "evade the truth" is a verbal phrase used to describe the act of intentionally avoiding or circumventing a direct and honest response. Ludwig AI confirms its validity in English writing. While not as common as other similar expressions, it's frequently found in News & Media to portray instances of dishonesty or lack of transparency, as well as formal or business communications. Related phrases include "dodge the truth" and "avoid the truth". When using "evade the truth", ensure it accurately reflects a deliberate attempt to avoid being fully honest, distinguishing it from outright lying.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dodge the truth

Similar to "evade the truth", but implies a quick or skillful avoidance.

avoid the truth

A general term for keeping away from the truth.

flee the truth

Conveys a sense of urgency and escape from the truth.

hide the truth

Focuses on concealing the truth from others.

escape the truth

Similar to "flee the truth", but may imply a more psychological avoidance.

prevent the truth

Focuses on stopping the truth from being revealed.

skirt the truth

Implies avoiding the central point of the truth without directly lying.

eschew the truth

Suggests a deliberate avoidance based on moral or aesthetic grounds.

obfuscate the truth

Involves making the truth unclear or difficult to understand.

ignore the truth

Implies a conscious decision to disregard the truth.

FAQs

How can I use "evade the truth" in a sentence?

You can use "evade the truth" to describe someone who is avoiding a direct or honest answer, such as, "When asked about the missing money, he tried to "evade the truth" by changing the subject".

What's the difference between "evade the truth" and "lie"?

"Evade the truth" means to avoid telling the whole truth or to be ambiguous, while "lie" means to make a false statement with the intention to deceive. So, someone can "evade the truth" without explicitly lying.

What are some alternatives to "evade the truth"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "dodge the truth", "avoid the truth", or "skirt the truth" instead of "evade the truth".

In what situations is it appropriate to use the phrase "evade the truth"?

The phrase "evade the truth" is suitable when describing situations where someone is intentionally avoiding being fully honest, often to protect themselves or others, or to avoid negative consequences.