1
as in avoided
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
don't try to duck your commitment to spending Thanksgiving with your family by claiming you have to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in dipped
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid
ducked the new camper in the lake as a joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ducked
Qing Yuan opened the tap, gripped the edge of the trough, and ducked his head under the water.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Pressure arrived, and Allen ducked it initially to extend the play.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
But Jane ducked under his hands and moved forward to the cage, a distance of about six feet.
—Ron Arias, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Two men ducked behind the van as an agent wearing full tactical gear opened the driver's side door and looked into the rear of the vehicle.
—Peter D'abrosca , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Customers ducked under tables before police came in and told them to run with their heads down out the back door of the restaurant, a man whose daughter was in the In-N-Out Burger at the time said in a comment on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post about the crime.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
To get a break from the heat, festivalgoers ducked in and out of the Exposition Center and Broadbent Arena during the day to take advantage of merch tents and air-conditioning.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Pressure arrived, and Allen ducked it initially to extend the play.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
But Jane ducked under his hands and moved forward to the cage, a distance of about six feet.
—Ron Arias, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Two men ducked behind the van as an agent wearing full tactical gear opened the driver's side door and looked into the rear of the vehicle.
—Peter D'abrosca , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Customers ducked under tables before police came in and told them to run with their heads down out the back door of the restaurant, a man whose daughter was in the In-N-Out Burger at the time said in a comment on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post about the crime.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
To get a break from the heat, festivalgoers ducked in and out of the Exposition Center and Broadbent Arena during the day to take advantage of merch tents and air-conditioning.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducked
Verb
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By contrast, Lai has avoided implying that there exists one China that includes Taiwan.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Except for a few urgent medical issues, such as an infected cut, Reed avoided health care providers.—
Charlotte Huff,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most recently, Alverson has also dipped his toe into advising sorority hopefuls as a rush coach — part of an emerging market for girls looking to polish up their image before heading off to college.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
At the height of the vigils, there were 300 people, according to organizers, but attendance dipped after the center was ordered by a federal judge to slowly empty the facility in August.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Although there is wiggle-room for the inflationary temperature/energy scale to be a bit lower than the limit set by cosmic rays, the CMB limits on the maximum post-inflationary temperature cannot be evaded.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Ukraine’s armed forces said Storm Shadow missiles had evaded Russia’s air defenses and struck the site in Bryansk which produces gunpowder, explosives and rocket components.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With Sami's back turned, Dragunov tried to hit a move near the corner, but Sami dodged it and slammed his opponent back overhead.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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In the first half, Paschal starting its scoring spree with a circus play from Thomas, who dodged multiple defenders and somersaulted toward the pylon.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Raised in New York, Donnelly immersed herself in musical theater from a young age before breaking out on screen as cheerleader Addison Wells in Disney’s Zombies franchise.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Hinds immersed himself in art study and spent decades as a teacher, a musician playing African drums and a performer of traditional dance.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And still, given that Spurs’ creative issues persist and Monaco peppered Vicario’s goal with 23 shots, seemingly slicing through a defence which had previously looked so secure with ease, Tottenham escaped with another away point.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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In the finale of the fourth season of The Boys, Starlight escaped an attempt to round up all supes who went against Homelander’s vision to rule the world.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The muted pequin peppers are drowned by musty garlic powder.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Oct. 2025
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The most serious was in late 2022, when two of Ginger's tiger cubs drowned after falling into a partially frozen pond.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Soaked in a meaty mushroom stock, dredged in flour, and dunked in buttermilk, these crispy, tender mushrooms are extra delicious.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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Also, Samis Calderon flushed a slam off a move down the baseline, while Peterson dunked to finish a strong drive to the goal.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ducked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducked. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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