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
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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
Men don’t shirk family responsibilities.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 May 2026
Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints.
—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Mitsuye, working full-time as a professor of English and creative writing at Cypress College, didn’t shirk her duties as much as delegate them, taking something of a chief executive’s approach to parenting.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development.
—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 May 2026
Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints.
—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Mitsuye, working full-time as a professor of English and creative writing at Cypress College, didn’t shirk her duties as much as delegate them, taking something of a chief executive’s approach to parenting.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development.
—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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Other methods to reduce the harm from sweltering temperatures include more breaks and flexible shifts so workers can avoid the midday sun, according to the WHO.
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While the morning may feel personal — especially if someone questions your judgment, appearance or direction — avoid treating their feedback (or silence) as rejection.
Verb
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Choice, vital for full-time employees, signifies agency and internal mobility, a dimension leaders often neglect.
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But more often than not, what does emerge has been neglected, destroyed or shoved back out of sight and out of the public mind, Frank and others note.
Verb
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But the challenge has remained over the decades for popes that the threat of schism, or a rupture within the church, might lurk behind a preference for a more solemn liturgy.
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Mow regularly and trim your edges, since ticks lurk in tall grass and brush.
Verb
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The suspect, 30‑year‑old Trevion Mark of Fort Worth, was arrested nearby without incident and charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle, according to DPS.
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Mark was charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle and booked into the Tarrant County Jail.
Verb
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Aaron Morris of San Francisco wanted to make sure the match would be one his father, Pancho, would never forget.
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Then, just as suddenly, the din fades away, the focus shifts and the election process is forgotten until the next round of howling protest.
Verb
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Koorimannil managed to sneak out a screenshot from his computer that AP and security nonprofit C4ADS used to identify the key to his productivity — a software platform called Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition, or KT for short.
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In just its fourth World Cup appearance, Norway has the chance to sneak into the Round of 16 for the third time.
Verb
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If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
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At the same time, East Florida's population was growing as British loyalists fled Georgia and the Carolinas to escape harassment from supporters of independence.
Verb
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The styles incorporate features typically found in work shoes, including nano toe, steel toe, waterproof, electrical hazard protection, slip resistant outsoles and quick draw laces.
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Circle’s stock slipped 13% after the announcement and now trades at $66 per share.
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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