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 Watch for weeds invading dormant lawn areas and manage these as soon as possible to avoid establishment. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 July 2025 In his exit memo, Bennett urged the commission to avoid micromanaging the negotiation process and instead focus on big-picture policy, public engagement and trust-building. —Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025 Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations. —CBS News, 12 July 2025 While every Italian city is unique in its own ways, there are a couple of ways to avoid being marked as a tourist on your next trip to sample La Dolce Vita. —Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 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
  • Cromartie also took a plea deal for charges including strangulation, third degree assault of a police officer, first degree wanton endangerment, disarming a peace officer, fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest and violation of a foreign protective order, according to court records.
    — Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 18 July 2025
  • The first suspect, a 47-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, evading a police officer, conspiring to commit a crime, vehicle hit and run, parole violations and resisting arrest, according to a press release from the Redwood City Police Department.
    — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 17 July 2025
Definition of evade
Verb
  • The poem became an anthem for abolishing convict labor in Florida.
    — Time, Time, 17 July 2025
  • Those who call for abolishing ICE or halting deportations rarely grapple with what that would actually mean: open borders in all but name.
    — Robert W Hood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2025
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Eventually, in a moment of crisis, Titch also escapes with him on it, kicking off what will become a wild continent-hopping odyssey.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2025
  • The project explores the tension between love and loneliness, questioning whether one escapes solitude by helping others find meaningful relationships.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2025
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Was the show canceled because late night TV is a relic of the past?
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 July 2025
  • Years later, her character was set to lead a separate reboot for Peacock, but the project was canceled in 2021.
    — Danny Horn, EW.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of cancel
Verb
  • Transparency rules have been introduced to prevent conflicts of interest among contractors and design professionals involved in inspections and repairs.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
  • Until now, there was no centralized system in place to prevent double billing, which enabled overpayments to go unnoticed.
    — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • But even in friendly rooms, Democrats are not promising to repeal the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in toto.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 July 2025
  • One positive step was to repeal many of the Inflation Reduction Act’s green energy subsidies.
    — Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • Any year before that is not as apt of a comparison, considering MLB eliminated the waiver trade deadline — which allowed teams to make deals until Aug. 31, even after the traditional trade deadline had passed — in 2019.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
  • The winner secured the Western Conference’s eighth seed, the loser was eliminated.
    — Doug Haller, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Definition of eliminate
Verb
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on the Supreme Court to reject an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction.
    — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Six appealed their disqualifications but none of the disqualifications were overturned, the NYPD said in court papers.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 15 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.

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