1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner
given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shirk
Tereza, desperate to shirk a government order that’s all about maintaining national productivity above all else, escapes the process that would shuttle her into a retirement colony.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Without shirking responsibility, the 52-year-old explained that her judgment had been clouded in part by other circumstances in her life.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The book opened a window on the lives of Silicon Valley’s Tech Bro culture, one that valued fierce competition, shirking of government rules and business growth above all else.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
But lawmakers often shirk that duty, enabling the executive branch to amass more power to send the military into combat without congressional approval.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Without shirking responsibility, the 52-year-old explained that her judgment had been clouded in part by other circumstances in her life.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The book opened a window on the lives of Silicon Valley’s Tech Bro culture, one that valued fierce competition, shirking of government rules and business growth above all else.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
But lawmakers often shirk that duty, enabling the executive branch to amass more power to send the military into combat without congressional approval.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
-
The problem is, when your side lack intensity, aggression and cohesion, those traps are easy to spot and avoid.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
October 23 – November 21 The real conversation is probably the one everyone has been avoiding.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
When Djena neglected to do a chore, Denise would use a belt or a power cord to whip Djena, leaving her covered in bruises.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
What this narrative neglects are all the ways treatment might cause terrible side effects, or the long period one spends being sick, and how one’s identity may have changed in the interim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
There is obviously a larger lesson lurking here, one about needing to trick out courses to combat unending progress, but no one has any time for that.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
There’s a set of boxing gloves lurking in that NPR tote bag.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Deception is used to evade responsibility, manipulate a partner or conceal betrayal.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
My muscles on fire with tension, sleep evaded me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
My writing group forgot my birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Caregivers remembered him not as a forgotten man, but as someone impossible to forget.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
That afternoon, Djena sneaked out of the house to meet Shams at the neighborhood Starbucks.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The Brewers tied it in the fourth when Luis Rengifo's grounder to third sneaked under Royce Lewis' glove and allowed Brice Turang to score.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Joao Gomes, one of the few current players to escape the wrath of disgruntled supporters, lingered on the pitch after his team-mates had left following a brief, post-match lap of appreciation.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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There might be a fight to escape, but even those few who crawl over rocks and grit and sand to reach terra firma find their surroundings changed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The pair will remain visible for a few hours after sunset, before slipping from view below the spring horizon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
-
Underlying profit, which strips out non-trading items, slipped 8% to $458 million.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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