ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsPparry
ISEE/SSAThard
parry
Meaning: to evade a difficult question by skillfully redirecting it
parry in a sentence
How parry is used in real sentences:
The minister tried to parry questions about the missing public funds.
The witness tried to parry the accusation by changing the subject to an unrelated event.
“Asked whether predators "saved" Yellowstone, a scientist may parry the question by describing several interacting causes instead of accepting its heroic premise.”
— from the passage The Valley Remembers
Synonyms for parry
Other words for parry — evade, deflect and dodge — carry the same meaning.
- evade
- deflect
- dodge
Antonyms of parry
Words that mean the opposite of parry:
- answer
- address
- confront
Where it comes from
From French parer, meaning 'to ward off or defend.'
Memory hook
PARRY sounds like 'pair'; pair a hard question with a deflection to avoid it.