“Beat Around the Bush”: Meaning, Examples and Sentences

Elaboration and Examples:

The phrase “beat around the bush” is an idiomatic expression that is used to describe someone who is avoiding the main topic of discussion and instead talking about irrelevant or unrelated things. When someone uses this phrase, they are essentially saying that the person they are talking to is being evasive or indirect.

The origin of the phrase is uncertain, but one theory suggests that it comes from medieval hunting practices, where hunters would literally beat around the bushes to scare out game animals. If a hunter was too hesitant or indirect in their approach, they might end up scaring away the animals without ever catching them.

Today, the phrase is used more broadly to describe any situation where someone is avoiding the main topic of conversation. For example, someone might say that a politician is “beating around the bush” when they refuse to answer a direct question or instead talk about unrelated issues.

The phrase can also be used in a more general sense to describe any situation where someone is being evasive or indirect. For example, someone might say that a coworker is “beating around the bush” when they refuse to take responsibility for a mistake or acknowledge a problem that needs to be addressed.

Overall, the phrase “beat around the bush” is a way to describe someone who is avoiding the main topic of conversation and instead talking about irrelevant or unrelated things. It is often used in a critical or frustrated tone to express the speaker’s frustration with the other person’s evasiveness.

Sentences on “Beat Around the Bush”