take the fifth
To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He decided to take the fifth when asked about the missing money.”
“I take the fifth whenever my friends ask about my dating life.”
“During the intense investigation, the witness chose to take the fifth rather than answer questions about his business partners.”
“When my sister asked who ate the last piece of cake, I decided to take the fifth to avoid getting into trouble.”
“The politician chose to take the fifth during the interview because he did not want to admit to meeting with the lobbyists.”
“Faced with aggressive questioning that threatened to expose his past indiscretions, the executive opted to take the fifth to avoid providing evidence against himself.”
A reference to the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which contains the provision that no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself. The phrasing emerged from the American legal system as a shorthand for invoking this specific constitutional protection against self-incrimination.
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
fifth wheel
Anything superfluous or unnecessary.
- 04
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
Last updated August 10, 2026