shun

verb

ˈshən How to pronounce shun (audio)
Definition of shunnext
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery just a ruse to shun the debt collectors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb shun contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid, elude, escape, eschew, and evade. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Where would avoid be a reasonable alternative to shun?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When can elude be used instead of shun?

While the synonyms elude and shun 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 escape a more appropriate choice than shun?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When might eschew be a better fit than shun?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

In what contexts can evade take the place of shun?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

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 shun After swindling his way into loads of cash, Yoshii gradually attempts to disconnect from humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and entrusting duties to his new, devoted assistant. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 July 2025 Yet, the administration has shunned free market principles pretty much everywhere else, from trade policy to corporate acquisitions. —Norbert Michel, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 The comity on school spending, however, shuns a debate that California’s politicians should be having — what to do about the system’s chronically subpar academic achievement. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 June 2025 Gen Zers and millennials have started to shun dating apps across the board. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for shun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shun
  1. avoid
  2. evade
  3. escape
Verb
  • Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 July 2025
  • While every Italian city is unique in its own ways, there are a couple of ways to avoid being marked as a tourist on your next trip to sample La Dolce Vita.
    — Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2025
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of evade
Verb
  • When Huang was nine-years-old, his parents sent him and his older brother to the U.S. to escape widespread social unrest in Thailand.
    — Matt Durot, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • Jeremiah Estrada promptly struck out Eugenio Suarez to escape that jam, and Adrián Morejón left the bases loaded the next inning with a strikeout of Marte.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
Definition of escape

Browse Nearby Words

shuls
shun
shunned
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Cite this Entry

“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shun. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shun

Nglish: Translation of shun for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shun

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