shirks

verb

present tense third-person singular of shirk
1
as in avoids
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 neglects
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 lurks
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

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 shirks Nick, desperate to return to the present, shirks the doting parents and brother who long to comfort him. — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirks
  1. avoids
  2. neglects
  3. lurks
  4. evades
  5. sneaks
  6. escapes
  7. slips
  8. slinks
Verb
  • New research has now demonstrated a simpler approach that avoids the ultrathin selective coatings traditionally considered essential for precise molecular separation.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026
  • The decision avoids an election-year change in the voting rules and may bolster Democrats in the fall election.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of avoids
Verb
  • The city installs all these bike lanes but neglects to enforce rules and regulations on the users.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Sam neglects the standards of his profession to protect women who Cady could hurt, especially someone like Sam’s virginal teen daughter, Dani.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of neglects
Verb
  • As iconography that could unify through recognition that diversity lurks in everyone, the art was truly ahead of its time, and has become more necessary than ever.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Jamon has left the past behind, but danger still lurks.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
Definition of lurks
Verb
  • If the armed forces are the instrument through which the president evades the Constitution, then the leaders of those armed forces must answer for their role.
    — Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
  • Panthalassa evades these regional regulatory and environmental obstacles by deploying autonomous computing nodes directly into deep water.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
Definition of evades
Verb
  • This episode sneaks some plot in toward the end, as the 10-Petal’s most skeptical cowboy, Austin, comes to Rip and finally — finally!
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • One of them invites Bonnie over for a sleepover, and Jessie sneaks into her overnight bag, not realizing that toys are verboten to the new generation.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 June 2026
Definition of sneaks
Verb
  • The highest technology will not be the one that escapes nature but the one that learns how to participate in its deepest creative computation.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • On clear, dry nights — like those across much of the interior West — that heat escapes very efficiently into space.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of escapes
Verb
  • Below, find the best shaping dresses and slips worth shopping now.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 6 July 2026
  • This detail—along with the slim design that slips seamlessly into low-profile shoes without looking clunky—makes the insoles ideal for wearing with sockless footwear, such as ballet flats or loafers.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 5 July 2026
Definition of slips
Verb
  • Hurts Like Hell is Cornfield’s twangiest album yet, thanks in large part to the pedal steel that slinks through its songs, handled like quicksilver by Adam Brisbin.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Anne slinks off with her husband.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Definition of slinks

Browse Nearby Words

shirking
shirks
shirtdress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shirks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirks. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shirks

Nglish: Translation of shirks for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All