triangulate
/tɹaɪˈæŋɡjəleɪt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.17 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To locate by means of triangulation.
verb
To pit two others against each other in order to achieve a desired outcome or to gain an advantage; to "play both sides against the middle".
adj
Synonym of triangular.
Example Sentences
- ""I'll give you a check now," I said abruptly, and saw Selina's green eyes triangulate angrily on my face."
- "Cruz, meanwhile, could wind up in the hot seat as he tries to triangulate between his disagreement with Trump’s position and his clear unwillingness to openly attack."
- "By attempting to triangulate, Labour convinced leavers it was for remain and remainers that it was for leave. The party looked cynical and opportunistic, […]"
- "Triangulating after a midterm loss is a tried-and-true tactic for improving an administration’s position, yet it’s a tactic that the Biden Democrats largely eschewed: There was no Clintonian push for a sweeping legislative deal on deficit reduction, no serious outreach on social issues, no reconsideration of the aggressive efforts to regulate gas-powered cars or forgive student loans, and only a too-little-too-late effort to restore order to the southern border."
Etymology
From Latin triangulum + -ate or Medieval Latin *triangulāt-, the past participial stem of *triangulō. Compare French trianguler.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: triangulātus
- Suffix: la:triangulum