to take the Fifth

19 8.3

To refuse to answer questions in court to avoid saying something that could make you look guilty

idiom
/teɪk ðə fɪfθ/

Formal

: acogerse a la Quinta Enmienda

One of the DOJ officials set to testify before Congress has indicated that she will "take the Fifth" and not answer on the grounds that it may tend to incriminate her.
people take the Fifth
take the Fifth and refuse
questions or take the Fifth

Examples

Sandy, you expect me to take the Fifth Amendment?

Presumed Innocent (1990)
I take the Fifth Amendment.

The Client (1994)
'Cause everybody knows only guilty people take the Fifth.

The Alto Knights (2025)
I mean, what if I take the Fifth?

Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
My client's taking the Fifth.

Showtime (2002)
I'm taking the Fifth on that.

Fiction book (1996)
Honestly, I think I'd better take the Fifth.

Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
Until we have a complete psychological evaluation, he will be taking the Fifth on any and all questions posed to him.

Primal Fear (1996)
They can't do anything to me if I take the Fifth Amendment, right?

Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
During the hearing, he decided to take the Fifth rather than risk self-incrimination.

Synonyms

to take the Fifth Amendment

vsto take the Fifth

Formal

5 7.5

Refuse to answer questions in court or by police to avoid saying you did something wrong

is the same action but named in a shorter idiomatic form

Antonyms

to answer

∞ 1.0

To reply to a question or request

to testify

142 4.9

To show that something is true with proof

How Willing

to take the stand

73 6.0

to submit an affidavit

Formal

1 8.2

to take the Fifth

Formal

19 8.3

Surface Forms

take the Fifth infinitive

taking the Fifth present participle

takes the Fifth third person singular

took the Fifth past

taken the Fifth past participle

Morphology

take + the + Fifth

The phrase refers specifically to invoking the U.S. Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, a culture- and law-specific usage that cannot be inferred from the literal words 'take' + 'the' + 'Fifth'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words but lacks knowledge of U.S. legal convention would not predict this meaning, so the expression is idiomatic and opaque.

Etymology

Take the Fifth comes from a US legal rule called the 'Fifth Amendment', which lets people take the Fifth and refuse to answer questions in court so they do not say something that makes them look guilty. So take the Fifth means 'to refuse to answer questions to avoid saying something that would make you look guilty'.