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
Today the site is a museum and rum distillery that doesn’t shirk from its past.
—
Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Here are some of the most notable categories: Foreign policy
Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, lawsuits filed by people living in Kushner buildings have exposed how the company operated, often by shirking on maintenance in order to force out tenants.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Here are some of the most notable categories: Foreign policy
Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, lawsuits filed by people living in Kushner buildings have exposed how the company operated, often by shirking on maintenance in order to force out tenants.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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Houston threw numbers behind the ball for most of the game to avoid getting hit by the deadly counterattacks and transitions KC has been known for.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
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Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When investing in new technology to enhance the CX, companies often forget or neglect to upgrade employee-facing systems, which can send a negative message to the workplace.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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No position on the Yankees has been more neglected than third base.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the rocky and sandy terrain of the Arabian peninsula, a dangerous creature lurks just below the surface in a burrow.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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The Furry Detectives: Unmasking A Monster, The Furry Detectives: Unmasking A Monster, a four-part documentary, unpacks a horrifying conspiracy of animal abuse lurking beneath the Furry Fandom’s playful exterior.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
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The key benefits of integration include: • Enhanced Threat Detection: By unifying security tools, organizations can achieve a holistic view of their threat landscape, enabling the identification of sophisticated attacks that might evade stand-alone systems.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Despite the riveting plot, the author teases to PEOPLE that her main character is going to be the aspect of the novel that readers aren’t likely to forget.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Just don’t forget to include a personalized card with your cash gift of any amount!—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Two assailants sneaked into a camp of workers building the Z-Morh tunnel (an important highway project) and opened fire at the laborers and engineers.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Brentford are sneaking up on the rails, a further two points adrift of Hurzeler’s side.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While they were gone, the tiny dog escaped and sprinted off into the wilderness.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
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Behind the Tigers’ strong start is Gleyber Torres’ subtle leadership Cade Cunningham, Pistons can’t escape growing pains that come with NBA playoffs Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The stick itself also glides onto the skin very easily without slipping or getting caught in drier or harder-to-reach areas of the face.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
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The polls show Trump has slipped three percentage points in his approval rating from March to April.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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