as in avoided
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
just a ruse to shun the debt collectors
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Recent Examples of shunned
Some countries are urging a stronger UN America’s adversaries also have shunned the board.
—
Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The film follows a lonely fisherwoman who asks a master basket weaver to build her a husband out of wood, only to become the envy of the village that once shunned her.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Her wedding was scheduled to take place six months from then, and Ens wouldn't be allowed to attend the nuptials if she was shunned.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The months that followed were harsh and isolating, with the teenager shunned by friends and left out of social events.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Wall Street has shunned Venezuela for a long time.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
The way the other Sex Pistols have shunned Lydon in recent years is no surprise to anyone who’s kept up with the band.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Payakan fought back against the whalers who killed his mother and was shunned by whale and Metkayina society alike.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
But such inadvertent collaboration with an authoritarian administration can have a devastating impact on civic and opposition groups as they are simultaneously targeted by the government and shunned by erstwhile supporters.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The film follows a lonely fisherwoman who asks a master basket weaver to build her a husband out of wood, only to become the envy of the village that once shunned her.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Her wedding was scheduled to take place six months from then, and Ens wouldn't be allowed to attend the nuptials if she was shunned.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The months that followed were harsh and isolating, with the teenager shunned by friends and left out of social events.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Wall Street has shunned Venezuela for a long time.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
The way the other Sex Pistols have shunned Lydon in recent years is no surprise to anyone who’s kept up with the band.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Payakan fought back against the whalers who killed his mother and was shunned by whale and Metkayina society alike.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
But such inadvertent collaboration with an authoritarian administration can have a devastating impact on civic and opposition groups as they are simultaneously targeted by the government and shunned by erstwhile supporters.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
-
That last-minute development is reviving debate about the extent of state support for Vanke, one of the last major developers to have avoided an outright default after a broader property market slump sparked record debt failures in recent years.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Porter and Swalwell joined majorities of Democratic House members to support various spending packages in Congress, which included billions for a border wall and in at least one case, avoided a government shutdown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Deputies located and attempted to stop the vehicle a short time later, but the driver did not yield and recklessly evaded, and the pursuit was ultimately terminated in the interest of public safety.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The men, who knew each other from prison, evaded law enforcement for roughly 36 hours, driving north and then heading back down south through Montana before they were arrested in Twin Falls.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One friend of mine, a former student, has escaped with her husband and baby to a remote island in northern Wisconsin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Shortly after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris County jail in Houston by walking out the front door virtually unchallenged by deputies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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