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 The gradual combination of these skills helps students avoid most crashes in the long term, leading to less discouragement and frustration. —Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 The sports reporter quickly avoided the question about the NFL tight end’s big news. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 12 Sep. 2025 That way, people can avoid false-positive or false-negative readings. —Alice Park, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 Liquid air avoids those problems. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 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
  • The discovery adds a new dimension to understanding cancer and therapy resistance, where cells often evade treatment by shifting states.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But Moscow has found ways to evade these.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of evade
Verb
  • Merz, for his part, would like to abolish this daily working limit while still maintaining the 40-hour workweek, allowing working days to become more flexible.
    — Alex Ledsom, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In 2018, China’s legislature abolished presidential term limits in a ceremonial vote, effectively allowing Xi to rule for life.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Most want to see better protections and less exploitation of fighters so that they are exposed to the least amount of danger in a sport that cannot escape it.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of escape
Verb
  • He's witnessed countless episodes of passengers wearing noise-canceling headphones and earbuds walking through airport terminals, oblivious to their surroundings and putting themselves and others in danger.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • That proposal was canceled after bipartisan opposition in the Senate.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of cancel
Verb
  • Riley Gaines has lobbied for bills in several states that would prevent biological males who identify as women from competing in women’s sports.
    — David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Your feet are sandwiched between pillowy soles and a breathable mesh upper that keeps the air flowing to prevent sweating and blisters.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • Initially, both the Treasury Department and key congressional leaders were determined to repeal the SALT deduction entirely.
    — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Federal officials have said that repealing the rule would allow for more flexible management for local land managers and aid in preventing destructive wildfires.
    — John Leos, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • With widespread vaccination, which led to measles being declared eliminated from the US in 2000, SSPE has virtually disappeared in the US.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Make a list, then systematically eliminate or replace each item.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of eliminate
Verb
  • The outcomes for detainees who have been housed at the facility have taken on new significance after an appeals court overturned that earlier ruling, allowing the facility to resume operations.
    — Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Now 64, Hernandez had been serving his sentence until the recent appeals court decision overturning his conviction in July.
    — Adeola Adeosun Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.

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