plead the Fifth (English, verb)
expansion: plead the Fifth (third-person singular simple present pleads the Fifth, present participle pleading the Fifth, simple past and past participle pled the Fifth or pleaded the Fifth)
Senses:
topics: law
glosses: To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
tags: US
glosses: To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak especially when the response would be embarrassing or uncomfortable.
tags: broadly
humorous
informal
Forms:
form: pleads the Fifth
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: pleading the Fifth
tags: participle
present
form: pled the Fifth
tags: participle
past
form: pled the Fifth
tags: past
form: pleaded the Fifth
tags: participle
past
form: pleaded the Fifth
tags: past