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take the fifth

verb

Etymology

A reference to the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which, among other provisions (e.g., prohibition of double jeopardy), protects individuals from being compelled to testify against themselves (i.e., self-incrimination).

Definitions

  1. To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

    • If you ask me who ate the last of the ice cream, I will simply take the fifth.
    • “Do you believe the violence on January 6 was justified morally?” she asked. Flynn squinted, truculent. “Take the Fifth,” he said.

  2. Alternative letter-case form of take the fifth.

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA