Debate Tactics

noun something used to attract fish or other animals for the purpose of catching them

verb to deliberately annoy or taunt someone in order to provoke a reaction

• The fisherman used a worm as bait to attract the fish.
• I heard there's a new bait shop opening up down the street.
• Don't take the bait when he tries to start an argument.
• The company used a free trial as bait to lure in new customers.

verb to raise petty or frivolous objections; to find fault unnecessarily

adjective tending to find fault in a petty or trivial way; carping

• The lawyer's caviling over minor details delayed the trial.
• Stop caviling and just enjoy the party.
• Why are you caviling about everything? Just chill out.
• Her constant caviling was like a dark cloud hanging over the group.

noun a style of argument or debate characterized by the use of overly intricate or convoluted reasoning

verb to engage in or use chop logic

• The philosopher was known for his ability to chop logic and debate complex ideas.
• Stop trying to chop logic and just admit you were wrong.
• She's always trying to chop logic to make herself look smarter.
• When faced with a difficult decision, it's important not to chop logic and instead listen to your instincts.

noun the act or process of placing in contrast or opposition

• In logic, contraposition is a valid form of argument that involves switching the subject and predicate of a conditional statement.
• Contraposition basically means flipping the parts of a 'if-then' statement around to make a new statement.
• Contraposition is like doing a switcheroo with the parts of a sentence to make a different sentence.
• Just like how contraposition in logic involves rearranging statements, sometimes in life we need to change our perspective to see things differently.

adjective uncertain or questionable in nature

• The results of the experiment were equivocal, with no clear indication of a definitive outcome.
• Her response to the question was equivocal, leaving us unsure of what she really meant.
• I asked him if he liked the movie and he gave me an equivocal answer, like 'it was okay, I guess.'
• The artist's abstract painting was open to interpretation, with its equivocal shapes and colors sparking different reactions from viewers.

noun a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument

• The argument that all politicians are corrupt is a fallacy.
• Thinking that all cats hate water is a fallacy.
• Believing that you can get rich quick is a total fallacy.
• The fallacy of assuming success will come overnight is a common misconception.

noun a process of excessively focusing on minor details or technicalities in an argument or discussion

• The philosopher engaged in a rigorous session of logic chopping to dissect the complex argument.
• Stop with all the logic chopping and just tell me what you really think.
• I can't stand all the logic chopping going on in this debate.
• His constant logic chopping was like trying to untangle a knot in a rope.

noun a statement or conclusion that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement

• The professor pointed out that the student's argument was a non sequitur.
• I don't get why you brought up that random fact, it's a total non sequitur.
• That comment was such a non sequitur, like what even?
• Her sudden outburst was a non sequitur in the otherwise calm meeting.

noun a deceptive or misleading argument

• The philosopher pointed out the paralogism in the argument, highlighting the logical fallacy.
• I think there's a paralogism in your reasoning, it doesn't quite add up.
• Your argument is full of paralogisms, you need to work on your logic.
• The paralogism in her story was like a tangled web of confusion.

noun a person who quibbles over trivial matters or engages in petty legal wrangling

• The lawyer was accused of being a pettifogger by his colleagues.
• I can't stand that pettifogger, always arguing over every little detail.
• Don't listen to that pettifogger, he's just trying to confuse you.
• The politician was a master pettifogger, always finding a way to twist the truth.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case 'preclusive' describes something that prevents or excludes something else

• The preclusive nature of the evidence rendered any further discussion unnecessary.
• Her preclusive attitude towards new ideas often hindered collaboration in the team.
• Don't be so preclusive, give it a chance!
• The looming deadline acted as a preclusive force, pushing us to work faster.

noun the act of lying or deviating from the truth

• The politician's prevarication on the issue only served to further erode public trust.
• Stop with the prevarication and just tell us the truth already!
• I can't stand his constant prevarication - just be straight with us!
• Her prevarication was like a tangled web of lies that eventually unraveled.

noun a person who quibbles

• The quibbler at the meeting raised several minor points of contention.
• Don't be such a quibbler and just go with the flow.
• She's always been known as the grammar quibbler in our group.
• He was a quibbler when it came to following the rules, always finding loopholes.

noun a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone

verb to smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner

• She couldn't help but sneer at his lack of professionalism during the meeting.
• I saw him sneer at the new guy when he walked in.
• Don't you dare sneer at me like that!
• The dark clouds seemed to sneer down at the small town below.

noun a fallacious argument, especially one used deliberately to deceive

• The philosopher dismantled the sophism presented by his opponent with logical reasoning.
• Don't fall for that sophism, it's just a trick to deceive you.
• That sophism is total BS, don't believe a word of it.
• Her argument was like a sophisticated dance of sophisms, weaving in and out of logic and reason.

noun a logical fallacy in which the middle term in a syllogism is not distributed in either the major or minor premise

adjective describing the fallacy of undistributed middle

• The fallacy of undistributed middle occurs when the middle term in a syllogism is not distributed in either the major or minor premise.
• You can't just assume a connection between two things without properly distributing the middle term in your argument.
• Don't be fooled by that undistributed middle, it's just a sneaky way to make a false connection.
• Just like a bridge without supports, an argument with an undistributed middle will collapse under scrutiny.

noun a logical fallacy where someone distorts or misrepresents an opponent's argument in order to make it easier to attack

verb to use the straw man fallacy in an argument

• The debater was accused of straw-manning his opponent's argument by misrepresenting it.
• Stop straw-manning my points and actually listen to what I'm saying.
• Don't be a straw-manner and twist my words like that.
• She felt like her ideas were being straw-manned by the group, making her hesitant to speak up.

noun a rhetorical technique that involves deflecting criticism by pointing out the flaws or wrongdoings of others

adjective describing the act or practice of engaging in whataboutery

• The debate was derailed by the constant whataboutery from both sides.
• Stop with the whataboutery and focus on the main issue at hand.
• I'm tired of your whataboutery, just admit you were wrong.
• His whataboutery was like a shield, deflecting any criticism thrown his way.

noun a Latin legal term meaning an appeal to pity or compassion in order to win an argument or gain sympathy

• The lawyer attempted to appeal ad misericordiam for a reduced sentence for his client.
• She always plays the sympathy card ad misericordiam whenever she's in trouble.
• He tried to guilt trip his way out of the situation ad misericordiam.
• The artist's painting evoked emotions ad misericordiam from all who viewed it.

noun a Latin term meaning to appeal to authority or expertise as a form of argument

adjective describing an argument that relies on an appeal to authority or expertise

• The use of ad verrecundiam in the argument was meant to appeal to authority.
• She always falls for ad verrecundiam, believing anything an expert says.
• Don't be fooled by that ad verrecundiam nonsense, do your own research.
• His reliance on ad verrecundiam showed his lack of critical thinking skills.