shun

verb

ˈshən How to pronounce shun (audio)
Definition of shunnext
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery just a ruse to shun the debt collectors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb shun contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid, elude, escape, eschew, and evade. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Where would avoid be a reasonable alternative to shun?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When can elude be used instead of shun?

While the synonyms elude and shun 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 escape a more appropriate choice than shun?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When might eschew be a better fit than shun?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

In what contexts can evade take the place of shun?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

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 shun The One Of Wun artist had been shunned by a lot of his former collaborators for taking an Alford plea in December 2022 while the YSL Rico case was still going on. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 23 June 2025 To them, woke became synonymous with Cancel Culture, people being publicly shunned for their political views, and in some cases losing their career opportunities and social connections over them. —John McDermott, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2025 Anti-Zionism rejects compromise, shuns a two-state solution and flattens a complex conflict to a simple morality play. —Jason Nevarez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025 The band shunned the studio, releasing no original albums between 1980 and 1987. —Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for shun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shun
  1. avoid
  2. evade
  3. escape
Verb
  • Close the blinds and curtains on sun-facing windows to block the sun's rays and avoid unwanted heat.
    — Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • After all, avoiding some topics or questions altogether could be perceived as a political response, said Mark Riedl, a professor of computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Definition of avoid
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 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
  • 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
Definition of escape

Browse Nearby Words

shuls
shun
shunned
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Cite this Entry

“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shun. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shun

Nglish: Translation of shun for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shun

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