avoid

verb

ə-ˈvȯid How to pronounce avoid (audio)
Definition of avoidnext
1
as in to evade
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery trying to avoid writing thank-you notes for the gifts he didn't like

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action asked the court to avoid the contract because it was signed under duress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb avoid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of avoid are elude, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When might elude be a better fit than avoid?

While the synonyms elude and avoid are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is it sensible to use escape instead of avoid?

The words escape and avoid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

In what contexts can eschew take the place of avoid?

The words eschew and avoid can be used in similar contexts, but eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of avoid?

In some situations, the words evade and avoid are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

Where would shun be a reasonable alternative to avoid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avoid, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

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 avoid Giving up athletics had an impact on her body and changes were required to avoid injury. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025 Each week spent on development and every disaster avoided adds to the company’s financial, reputational and customer support success. —Sai Sandeep Ogety, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 Indeed, President Trump will probably never appeal his executive order losses in lower courts to avoid the embarrassment of losing in the Supreme Court populated with three Trump appointees. —Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2025 Don’t say Discovery The language in the Senate bill avoids any mention of the Smithsonian, Space Center Houston, Discovery, or even the space shuttle. —Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for avoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoid
  1. evade
  2. abolish
  3. escape
  4. cancel
  5. prevent
  6. repeal
  7. eliminate
  8. overturn
Verb
  • Ten people involved in the ambush were arrested that night or early the next morning, but Song evaded capture, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2025
  • Dexter stalks his next victim (Marc Menchaca) — a killer who targets ride-share drivers — while the ghost of his father Harry (James Remar) urges him to be careful, and a fidgety Harrison tries to evade police suspicions.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 10 July 2025
Definition of evade
Verb
  • While Minnesota abolished the death penalty over a century ago, the federal murder charges carry a maximum penalty of capital punishment.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 July 2025
  • Minnesota abolished its state death penalty in 1911.
    — Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • For more than two decades, a special team of Mexican police officers has quietly worked along the northern border to track down and deport foreign fugitives who cross into Mexico to escape criminal charges in their home countries.
    — Time, Time, 9 July 2025
  • Tanya Ramsey's brother and mother were staying in a cabin 100 yards away, and Jeff Ramsey's call to them gave them enough time to escape, Jake Ramsey said.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 9 July 2025
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Twenty-four flights have been canceled at DIA as of 4:30 p.m. A ground delay has been issued at DIA from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
    — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 8 July 2025
  • Here’s what should happen: If an accommodation provider cancels your reservation, which is what appeared to have happen, then Booking.com should have notified you as soon as possible — not three days before your trip.
    — Christopher Elliott The Travel Troubleshooter, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025
Definition of cancel
Verb
  • Sitting in a chair that supports movement, such as one with a self-adjusting recline mechanism, can help prevent this condition, according to Puleio.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
  • How to prevent exposure to the plague To prevent exposure to plague, Coconino County officials have the following tips: Avoid contact with wild animals.
    — Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • While the Trump administration has passed temporary waivers on those sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, they can only be permanently repealed by law.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
  • But the bill that passed Congress on Thursday would repeal the part of the 2022 law that established the green bank and rescind money that hadn’t already been obligated to its recipients.
    — Michael Phillis, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • Use your steamer in the sink, around the base of your faucet, and around the drain to eliminate mold smells and any buildup.
    — Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2025
  • The Vision Zero plan is designed to eliminate pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries by 2033.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
Definition of eliminate
Verb
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on the Supreme Court to reject an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction.
    — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Six appealed their disqualifications but none of the disqualifications were overturned, the NYPD said in court papers.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025
Definition of overturn

Browse Nearby Words

avocations
avoid
avoidable
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Cite this Entry

“Avoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoid. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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