1
as in to avoid
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in person
a member of the human race
her coworkers regard her as something of an odd duck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 duck
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
He was spotted ducking down in a field as traffic passed by and fled before he was found in a small cave, police have said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 June 2026
There seemed to be more hopes about this vintage breaking that duck.
—Tomás Hill López-Menchero, New York Times, 22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for duck
Verb
Baker was hiding in the grassy area of a field and was seen ducking down as passing traffic approached, Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna said in a press conference shown on Hawaii News Now and reviewed by PEOPLE.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
He was spotted ducking down in a field as traffic passed by and fled before he was found in a small cave, police have said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Noun
The cause of the duck's death is undetermined but sparked concern from onlookers.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 June 2026
There seemed to be more hopes about this vintage breaking that duck.
—Tomás Hill López-Menchero, New York Times, 22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for duck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duck
Verb
-
Manhattan matchup The two super PAC networks have largely shied away from producing ads that mention AI and have mostly chosen to avoid competing against each other in the same races.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Drivers are being advised to take alternate routes and to avoid the area.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Father Joseph Balikuddembe, a young priest, weaves down the aisle for communion, depositing wafers on the nuns' lips.—
Sophie Neiman,
NPR,
20 June 2026
-
For once the story seems less about progress in the nuts and bolts of how the cars weave their way around road hazards.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Gas dipped below $4 a gallon for the first time since March.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
World Cup sensation Freddy dipped his toes into the country music world in epic fashion.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
As officers moved inside, the suspect ran out the back of the building, where other officers stationed along a perimeter took the person into custody, police said.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
-
Sees another email that says that the person who's going to shut it down is having extramarital affair.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Federal officials said Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines after allegedly evading authorities for nearly two years.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
-
Disclosure Day sees Daniel (O'Connor) and Margaret (Blunt) racing to evade the sinister Wardex corporation with the ultimate goal of disclosure.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The twist that Evan is Richard Warren’s descendant is the first and most useful scaffolding for Widow’s Bay being able to dodge a season-two slump.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
After welcoming a second child, dodging more cheating rumors, and splitting again, Cardi filed for divorce a second time — before announcing her third pregnancy with Offset a day later.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Tourists in Rome dunked in fountains.—
Oleg Cetinic,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
-
Tourists in Rome dunked in fountains.—
Angela Charlton,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Suarez, the Braves’ setup man, and arguably the team’s top offseason acquisition, was an All-Star closer for the Padres the past two seasons.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
23 June 2026
-
Nationally, women receive an average of $1,760 monthly in Social Security, $438 less than the $2,198 men receive on average.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duck. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
