When asked about his whereabouts, he started to equivocate instead of giving a direct answer.

equivocate 来自拉丁语词根 aequus（平等的）和 vocare（说话），字面意思是"说模棱两可的话"。这个词指故意使用含糊不清的语言来回避问题或隐瞒真相，通常带有逃避责任的意味。