take the Fifth

idiomatic phrase

variants or less commonly take the Fifth Amendment

chiefly US

: to refuse to testify against oneself in a court of law in accordance with the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution : plead the Fifth

She got called to testify … and took the Fifth. That's certainly her right …

—Ed Morrissey

Government lawyers say he took the Fifth Amendment in response to 176 of 390 questions he was asked.

—Josh Gerstein

—often used figuratively

I would really like to say something funny here, but will instead take the Fifth.

—Mike Vaccaro

… I kind of have to take the Fifth. Mainly because I never talk about my own work in progress …

—William Gibson, quoted at wired.com

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above