equivocated prevaricated pussyfooted vacillated fenced fudged dodged hedged waffled weaseled(US) weaselled(UK) beat about the bush beaten about the bush flanneled flannelled stalled shilly-shallied beaten around the bush dodged the issue parried questions apostatized reneged defected deserted renounced changed sides went over to the other side gone over to the other side abandoned belief turned traitor quit abandoned sold out quitted rejected turned repudiated pulled out ratted on walked out on hesitated wavered dithered faltered delayed fluctuated teetered havered staggered paused swithered wobbled oscillated halted scrupled dawdled temporised(UK) evaded avoided ducked sidestepped eluded shirked escaped shunned bypassed circumvented skirted eschewed shook shaken beat beaten scaped finessed shortcutted More