ELUDE Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'elude' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elude are avoid , escape , eschew , evade , and shun . While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. // what she sees in him eludes me

Q: When can 'avoid' be used instead of 'elude'?

While the synonyms avoid and elude are close in meaning, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. // try to avoid past errors

Q: When would 'escape' be a good substitute for 'elude'?

In some situations, the words escape and elude are roughly equivalent. However, 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: Where would 'eschew' be a reasonable alternative to 'elude'?

Although the words eschew and elude have much in common, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. // a playwright who eschews melodrama

Q: When is 'evade' a more appropriate choice than 'elude'?

The synonyms evade and elude are sometimes interchangeable, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. // evaded the question by changing the subject

Q: When could 'shun' be used to replace 'elude'?

While in some cases nearly identical to elude , shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. // you have shunned your responsibilities

elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd

Definition of elude

as in to evade

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery the millionaire had been eluding his fair share of taxes for years before getting caught

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How does the verb elude contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elude are avoid, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When can avoid be used instead of elude?

While the synonyms avoid and elude are close in meaning, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When would escape be a good substitute for elude?

In some situations, the words escape and elude are roughly equivalent. However, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Where would eschew be a reasonable alternative to elude?

Although the words eschew and elude have much in common, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When is evade a more appropriate choice than elude?

The synonyms evade and elude are sometimes interchangeable, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When could shun be used to replace elude?

While in some cases nearly identical to elude, 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 elude When the former Serbian president was arrested in 2001, Mladić went into hiding, eluding authorities for another decade. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Those players will need to build a culture of winning baseball, which includes executing the subtle fundamentals that have eluded them. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026 The chase that follows finds Reacher and Green eluding several officers in Magic Gardens, the South Street art space dominated by Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zagar’s multimedia mosaic labyrinth. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 In the process, the Roman telescope will investigate the strange force known as dark energy accelerating the universe's expansion, observe the formation of galaxies and uncover far-away planets that have eluded detection. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elude

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elude

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

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

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elucidative

elude

eluded

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“Elude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elude. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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