to skate around

Examples

• All

• He tends to skate around the difficult questions during interviews.

• You continue to skate around the issue by repeating the same story you heard growing up.

  Blog text (13)

• Mulligan, it's like he's skating around.

  Big Fan (2009)

• Not too awful much info on the Great Bear website, and Mr. Duncan skated around my questions rather deftly.

  Blog text (8)

• I knew what we were creeping up on here—what we were skating around the border of.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Ian Cole skated around the IceHogs defense on an odd-man rush and dished a pass for Hensick to slap in at 16:13 to make the score 2-1.

  Blog text (18)

• It seems to me that he skated around the elephant in the room—the huge involvement of the federal government in the business of the loans, and not only in establishing the policy that determines how lenders should behave.

  Blog text (2)

• Let's not skate around the issue; we need to face it head-on.

• She always skates around the topic of her finances when we talk.

Synonyms

S

to skirt

vsto skate around

19 6.8

To avoid dealing with a question or problem

is the everyday expression for avoiding a difficult subject

B

to beat around the bush

vsto skate around

• Informal

17 5.6

To avoid saying what you mean directly

is similar but applies to avoiding or not dealing with hard issues

S

to sidestep

vsto skate around

15 4.9

To avoid answering a question or dealing with a problem directly

is the more informal way to avoid talking about a hard issue

S

to sidestep the issue

vsto skate around

1 6.0

To avoid answering a difficult question by changing the subject

focuses on avoiding the same problem but in more casual settings

S

to skate over

vsto skate around

• Informal

1 6.9

Handle a problem quickly without looking at the details

avoids direct discussion rather than merely treating a matter superficially

S

to skirt around the issue

vsto skate around

1 6.8

To avoid talking about a difficult subject by giving vague answers

is used for avoiding any difficult topic, not only sensitive ones

S

to sidestep the controversy

vsto skate around

1 6.8

To avoid talking about a controversial issue on purpose

applies more broadly to avoiding difficult topics, not only controversy

F

to fudge the issue

vsto skate around

• Informal

8.4

To avoid answering a question directly by being unclear

is broader, covering any avoidance not just vague responses

D

to deflect the conversation

vsto skate around

7.0

To change the topic on purpose to avoid a subject

avoids the same subject but usually without actively changing the topic

B

to burke

vsto skate around

• Archaic

9.9

To quietly stop something from being talked about

means avoiding discussion directly rather than suppressing or removing matters

Antonyms

A

to address

∞ 3.6

To deal with a subject in speech or writing

C

to confront

359 4.4

Face a difficult problem or fear directly and bravely

How Direct

to confront

310 4.1

to address

∞ 3.6

to skirt

19 6.8

to skate around

1 7.0

to avoid

∞ 1.0

to ignore

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology