elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd 

eluded; eluding

transitive verb

1

: to avoid adroitly : evade

the mice eluded the traps

managed to elude capture

2

: to escape the perception, understanding, or grasp of

subtlety simply eludes them

victory continued to elude us

3

: defy sense 2

it eludes explanation

Synonyms of elude

• evade
• avoid
• escape

Choose the Right Synonym for elude

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of elude in a Sentence

The killer was able to elude the police.

The killer has eluded capture.

The cause of the disease continues to elude researchers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Six days afterward, a person in a truck that looked similar to the suspect’s vehicle fled, and successfully eluded police, when a BART officer approached, authorities said. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026

Prosecutors said Duprey had eluded several officers before Duran used both hands to grab a red-and-white cooler filled with beverages and ice, and hurled it at Duprey’s head. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026

That is what has eluded Moody, Podziemski and Kuminga. —Nick Friedell, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

The Buffalo Bills enter the NFL playoffs without, at last, the Kansas City Chiefs blocking their path to the Super Bowl appearance that has eluded them for so long. —Mark Maske, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin ēlūdere "to trick, avoid, evade, flout," from ē-, variant of ex- ex- entry 1 + lūdere "to play, jest, tease" — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing elude

• elude someone's grasp

Rhymes for elude

• accrued
• allude
• collude
• conclude
• construed
• debuted
• delude
• endued
• ensued
• eschewed
• etude
• exclude

Kids Definition

elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd 

eluded; eluding

1

: to avoid or escape by being quick, skillful, or tricky

2

: to escape the understanding or grasp of

the explanation eludes me