avoid

verb

ə-ˈvȯid How to pronounce avoid (audio)
Definition of avoidnext
1
as in to evade
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery trying to avoid writing thank-you notes for the gifts he didn't like

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action asked the court to avoid the contract because it was signed under duress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb avoid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of avoid are elude, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When might elude be a better fit than avoid?

While the synonyms elude and avoid are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is it sensible to use escape instead of avoid?

The words escape and avoid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

In what contexts can eschew take the place of avoid?

The words eschew and avoid can be used in similar contexts, but eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of avoid?

In some situations, the words evade and avoid are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

Where would shun be a reasonable alternative to avoid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avoid, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of avoid Some American manufacturers also began moving production facilities over the border in a bid to avoid Canada’s retaliatory import duties. — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 Though the United States avoided a direct repeat of 1987’s Black Monday, the market will likely remain highly volatile for the rest of the week. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Apr. 2025 Soundproofing your apartment and crate-training your pup will help your dog bark less and avoid complaints from angry neighbors. — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025 In the censure debate on Tuesday, opposition MPs reportedly questioned the prime minister’s knowledge gaps and accused her of avoiding questions from reporters. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoid
  1. evade
  2. abolish
  3. escape
  4. cancel
  5. prevent
  6. repeal
  7. eliminate
  8. overturn
Verb
  • Most of these are fine goals, and some (such as finally terminating the university’s efforts to evade a Supreme Court–ordered end to its use of race discrimination in admissions) ought to be uncontroversial.
    — The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Security scrutinized: Suspect eluded officers protecting Shapiro Balmer started fires while troopers searched Troopers were able to safely evacuate Shapiro's family and others in the mansion, but the fire raises the question of how Balmer was able to evade security.
    — John Bacon, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of evade
Verb
  • France belatedly abolished slavery in 1848 in its remaining colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion and French Guyana, which are still territories of France today.
    — Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The Legislature eliminated parole for nearly everyone imprisoned for crimes committed after Aug. 1, making Louisiana the 17th state in a half-century to abolish parole altogether and the first in 24 years to do so.
    — Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2025
  • No one was harmed during the incident, and the suspect escaped.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of escape
Verb
  • The Titans recently cancelled pre-draft workouts with Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, all but guaranteeing that Ward is the pick here.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The government last month canceled $400 million in funding for Columbia and threatened to withhold billions more, accusing the university in New York of not doing enough to combat antisemitism and to ensure student safety amid last year's Gaza encampment campus protests.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of cancel
Verb
  • To prevent mold, be cautious when storing homemade bread.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Perhaps more important, though, is doing your best to prevent those flares in the first place.
    — Sierra Leone Starks, Allure, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • The program also receives about 5% of its revenue from interest generated by its trust funds and about 4% of its revenue from the tax that Trump wants to repeal.
    — Dennis W. Jansen, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • President Donald Trump this week issued a sweeping directive ordering federal agencies to repeal regulations that conflict with recent Supreme Court rulings.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • Lance Hunter, a professor at Augusta University in Georgia, said that eliminating defenses against foreign influence campaigns would leave the United States more vulnerable to them.
    — Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • May Reduce Inflammation Soybeans are high in antioxidants, which help eliminate harmful compounds called free radicals.
    — Merve Ceylan, Health, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of eliminate
Verb
  • He was released after a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the kidnapping and killing of Camarena.
    — Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The decision overturned a lower court ruling that had required their reinstatement, supporting Trump's efforts to downsize the federal workforce.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of overturn

Browse Nearby Words

avocations
avoid
avoidable
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Cite this Entry

“Avoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoid. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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