elude

elude

verb \ē-ˈlüd\

elud·edelud·ing

Definition of ELUDE

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 4 <it eludes explanation>

Examples of ELUDE

1. The killer was able to elude the police.
2. The killer has eluded capture.
3. The cause of the disease continues to elude researchers.

Origin of ELUDE

Latin eludere, from e- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous

First Known Use: 1667

Related to ELUDE

Synonyms: avoid, dodge, duck, escape, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of)

Related Words: miss; avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off); ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out; bypass, circumvent, skirt; foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart

Near Antonyms: accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome; catch, contract, incur

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See Synonym Discussion at escape

Rhymes with ELUDE

allude, blood feud, collude, conclude, delude, denude, exclude, extrude, exude, fast-food, health food, include, intrude, junk food, obtrude, occlude, plant food, postlude, preclude, prelude, protrude, quaalude, seafood, seclude, subdued, transude, unglued