AVOID Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

avoid

verb

ə-ˈvȯid

Definition of avoid

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Lively and Baldoni settled their 18-month legal war in May, avoiding a federal trial that was scheduled for later that month. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its musicians ratified a three-year contract Tuesday, avoiding what could have been the first strike in the ensemble's 145-year history. — CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 In the months after his return, David largely avoided public appearances and focused on his rehabilitation. — Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 The survey found 77% of consumers reduce, delay, or avoid spending on joy at least occasionally. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avoid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoid

Verb

Those risks include scenarios in which AI could help create chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, autonomously carry out serious cyberattacks, or evade human control.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city.

— Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Alabama has since abolished judicial override, the practice that allowed judges to order the state to kill a person even though a jury of one’s peers requested otherwise.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of abolish

Verb

Nuclear Children follows 18-year-old Isla Sparrow who, after the death of her father in a submarine accident, hopes to escape her grieving family and flee to university.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Messick escaped further damage by striking out Jose Siri and getting Campero to pop out.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

If the league and union can’t agree on a new contract by some time in March, some regular-season games likely would be canceled.

— Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Another, who said a relative's upcoming interview had been canceled, described feeling confused and upset by what appeared to be an embassy-wide hold.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of cancel

Verb

The problem is, Isolde is very busy with work, so Ry is often left to herself with four alarms a day to take medication to prevent seizures.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Shingles, which can cause painful rashes, fever, chills, headaches and fatigue, can be prevented by getting the two-dose vaccine, which is about 90% effective in the elderly.

— Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of prevent

Verb

That includes prohibiting the construction of AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods, reducing the impacts of data centers on local communities, and repealing sales tax exemptions and other incentives.

— Jack Fink, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
According to correspondence reviewed by ProPublica, the Joint Staff disagreed with the Army acting secretary, who said in a February 2025 memo that the program was redundant and recommended Congress repeal the law that set it in motion.

— Megan Rose, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of repeal

Verb

Cancer vaccines require additional drugs called adjuvants in order to activate and start eliminating cancer cells.

— Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
While both undergo steps in manufacturing to eliminate potentially harmful microorganisms, liquid infant formula in ready-to-feed bottles undergoes an additional sterility step to become commercially sterile.

— Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of eliminate

Verb

While the ban lasted only three weeks, both the number of weekly visits to the needle exchange and the number of naloxone kits distributed were lower than expected for at least the 20 weeks after the ban was overturned.

— Paul Christine, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
His acquittal was overturned and the case was merged with that relating to the coup attempt.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of overturn

Browse Nearby Words

avocations

avoid

avoidable

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“Avoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of avoid

verb

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