Weasel words
Uses vague qualifiers to imply a claim without committing to it.
Specimen
Some say the election may have been influenced by outside actors.
Fabricated passage — teaching example designed for clarity.
weasel words — 'some say' and 'may have' let the claim float without accountability
Dissection
Some say the election may have been influenced by outside actors.
- 'some say' is anonymous authority
- 'may have' is deniable speculation
- claim lands without being made
Field notes
- Family
- Rhetorical device
- Habitat
- political commentary, broadcast scripts, editorial writing
- Frequency
- found in 19% of analyzed articles
- Confused with
- Question as assertion , Strategic vagueness
In the wild
"There are those who believe the official numbers don't tell the full story."
Political opinion, national broadsheet, February 2026
"It could be argued that the decision was politically motivated."
Commentary, online magazine, April 2026
Why it works
The claim is made and denied simultaneously. Readers absorb the suggestion; writers maintain plausible deniability.
Counter-move
State the claim directly. If it can't be stated directly, it probably can't be supported.
See it flagged in real articles while you read.
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