dodge

1 of 2

noun

1
: an act of evading by sudden bodily movement
2
a
: an artful device to evade, deceive, or trick
b

dodge

2 of 2

verb

dodged; dodging

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move to and fro or from place to place usually in an irregular course
dodged through the crowd
b
: to make a sudden movement in a new direction (as to evade a blow)
dodged behind the door
2
: to evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit

transitive verb

1
a
: to evade by a sudden or repeated shift of position
dodge tacklers
b
: to avoid an encounter with
celebrities dodging the media
2
: to evade (something, such as a duty) usually indirectly or by trickery
dodged the draft by leaving the country
dodged questions
Phrases
dodge a bullet or less commonly dodge the bullet
: to narrowly avoid an unwelcome, harmful, or disastrous outcome or occurrence
coastal towns dodged a bullet when the hurricane veered out to sea

Examples of dodge in a Sentence

Noun It was just another dodge to get out of working. just another dodge to get out of working in the yard Verb He dodged the first punch but was hit by the second. She dodged through the crowds as she hurried home. We dodged between the cars as we raced across the street. They managed to dodge the reporters by leaving through the back exit. She accused him of dodging his responsibilities as a parent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Disliking the idea of purchasing citizenship, Schneider said Trump is establishing a tax dodge for gold card recipients. Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025 By William Baldwin, Senior Contributor Three weeks remain for end-of-year tax dodges. William Baldwin, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
Markets hate uncertainty, and hopes of dodging a shutdown provided a boost for stocks at the end of a turbulent week. John Towfighi, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025 Commissioners could also dodge the issue by voting to defer the legislation to a future meeting. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dodge

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1680, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dodge was in 1575

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dodge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodge. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

dodge

1 of 2 noun
1
: an act of avoiding by sudden bodily movement
2
: a sly means of avoiding, deceiving, or tricking
just another dodge to get out of working
dodger noun

dodge

2 of 2 verb
dodged; dodging
1
a
: to move suddenly aside or to and fro
dodging through the crowd
b
: to avoid by moving quickly aside
dodge a blow
2
: evade sense 1
dodged the question

Biographical Definition

Dodge

biographical name

Mary Elizabeth 1831–1905 née Mapes ˈmāps How to pronounce Dodge (audio) American author

More from Merriam-Webster on dodge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!