1
as in avoiding
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in neglecting
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sneaking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies
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Recent Examples of shirking
Her dissent argues that the Court is shirking its duty to clarify constitutional law in capital cases, where individuals’ lives are on the line.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
All that seemed to be undone in an instant when Cristhian Mosquera’s sloppy backpass was followed by Gabriel shirking his defensive responsibilities, allowing Nick Woltemade to head home.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
By shirking the Democratic brand, Osborn has a shot at winning his race, as Cockburn points out, and may offer a model for other candidates attempting to dethrone Republicans in rural red states.
—Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Chancellor Jeremy Haefner told The Denver Post that inclusivity remains a core value at DU and vowed the federal government will not strongarm the campus into shirking from that.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The acrimony between the two camps is seen on social media and in everyday conversations, where calls for showing compassion to the Gazans are met with accusations of naivete, hypocrisy and shirking responsibilities to fellow Jews.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
All that seemed to be undone in an instant when Cristhian Mosquera’s sloppy backpass was followed by Gabriel shirking his defensive responsibilities, allowing Nick Woltemade to head home.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
By shirking the Democratic brand, Osborn has a shot at winning his race, as Cockburn points out, and may offer a model for other candidates attempting to dethrone Republicans in rural red states.
—Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Chancellor Jeremy Haefner told The Denver Post that inclusivity remains a core value at DU and vowed the federal government will not strongarm the campus into shirking from that.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The acrimony between the two camps is seen on social media and in everyday conversations, where calls for showing compassion to the Gazans are met with accusations of naivete, hypocrisy and shirking responsibilities to fellow Jews.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirking
Verb
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Currently, pediatricians recommend avoiding caffeine consumption for children under 12 years old.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
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However, the chances of this happening were unlikely, given the CRB's priority of avoiding a rebound of inflation rather than stagnation.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This isn’t the same as a parent bringing two young children home a tasty treat from a business trip and neglecting a third.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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Funding tools and training, while neglecting the systemic change needed to drive real transformation.—
Heather Conklin,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Here is Carreras profiting from that exact ploy while playing for Benfica against Barcelona in the Champions League last season, sneaking forward on the far side before receiving the switch and hammering a low cross into striker Vangelis Pavlidis to score.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Eileen’s determination to face down the boys and be accepted for her full self or Hedda sneaking around and steering everyone’s fates behind the scenes?—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To prevent the group from evading the tax, it would be levied on billionaires who lived in California in 2025 and the beginning of 2026.—
Kate Wolffe
October 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Ultimately, being aware of the risk that high cholesterol can pose during and after pregnancy, embracing heart-healthy habits throughout, and following up postpartum can make the difference between experiencing a heart event and evading one.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The clip then hints that the small town is anything but, with disappearances of children, creepy creatures and more lurking in its past and haunting the present.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Apa's character, Archie Andrews, was attacked by a bear after escaping from an underground prison fight club; Reinhart's Betty discovered her father was a serial killer and saved her sister from a cult; and Mendes traveled back in time to invent birth control.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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Williams, who was also sentenced to a five-year prison term for escaping custody, sparking a major manhunt, is also at the center of allegations of misconduct by the Johnson City Police Department for more than three years.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Women’s Power Stride Tab Socks 3-pack Designed with training in mind, this three-pack of no-show socks boasts an interior grip that keeps them from slipping during use.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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Messi picked up the ball from his compatriot Rodrigo De Paul in midfield and burst toward the backpedaling Nashville back line before slipping the ball outside to Luis Suárez.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Marchenko kept the heat on by stealing a page from Johnson’s book of tricks, sliding it through Silovs’ pads.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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The junior made his moment count, taking the carry all the way home before sliding in the end zone.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirking. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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