triangulate

present singular third person triangulates · participle present triangulating · participle past triangulated · past triangulated

1. To locate by means of triangulation.

   "I'll give you a check now," I said abruptly, and saw Selina's green eyes triangulate angrily on my face.

   1966, Bob Shaw, Light of Other Days

2. governmentTo 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".

   By attempting to triangulate, Labour convinced leavers it was for remain and remainers that it was for leave. The party looked cynical and opportunistic, […]

   2019 December 16, Tom Kibasi, “How Labour went from near-breakthrough in 2017 to disaster in 2019”, in The Guardian

   2 more examples

   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.

   2015 December 14, Alexis Levinson, “Four Storylines to Watch at the Las Vegas GOP Debate”, in National Review

   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.

   2024 November 8, Ross Douthat, “How Democrats Helped Trump”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

3. computer graphicsTo divide into triangles.

1. not comparableSynonym of triangular.

   Synonyms: triangular